010100100100010101000100
by sevenofmine
Summary: Yes, this strange title has a certain meaning. Read and find out ;   This is my first Mentalist story and it is about Red John hunting Patrick...and Lisbon's feelings toward Jane while he is in danger...
1. Red Hair on the floor

010100100100010101000100

**My first own Mentalist story. I haven't watched a lot of episodes yet so I'm sorry if the reactions doesn't fit to the characters that much but I just _had _to write about Red John. I hope my description of him fits to his image but however, it's just what I imagine about Red John (I'm sorry for character deaths but I always like the bad guys more than the good ones^^). Please review!**

Chapter 1

It was dark and after midnight when Jane came home from work. He opened his door and closed it again behind him. It was silent in his house, as usual. He went to the kitchen and prepared dinner. He took his time and washed the dished until he finally climbed up the staircase and walked down the corridor. His steps got faster when there was a piece of paper pinned on the door in front of him. He remembered a similar scene over six years ago. He remembered reading his message before seeing what he had done to his family. He got nervous and stopped in front of the door.

_Dear Jane,_

_We haven't seen for such a long time now and I think you might have forgotten me already. Therefore I wanted to give you a little gift for remembering me. Maybe you would like to consider hunting me again. It will be fun, I promise. I also do promise you that every week you don't find me, people you like are going to die. As we both know that you're no psychic and have never been, you have no idea who is the one behind the door. I can only tell you that it was very hard to kill this person and that she was a real fighter. Have fun._

_RD_

Jane didn't want to open this door and do it all over again. It was a woman. He thought about Lisbon and nearly fell inside the room as he opened the door too strongly. He directly looked into the huge grin of the smiley, bloody and it was obviously Red John's logo, no doubt. Jane didn't breathe and looked down on the floor. A woman was lying there but it was not Lisbon.

Jane ran and fell down toward her. 'Van Pelt' he muttered and wiped away a strand of her red hair from her face. 'No' Jane muttered and looked up at the big, smiling, red face. Right under it, there was a second note.

_PS: Just as a hint: I start with your team._

_PPS: You can end the killing with killing me, killing yourself (which would not be fun at all) or moving abroad and never returning to Sacramento, your nice boss Teresa or the American continent. Good luck._

Jane read the note in disbelief. He just couldn't think that Red John was doing this. It was not his type but somehow, Jane didn't doubt that it was a fake. It was Red John, for sure.

But after Jane had been hunting him for over six years, Red John turned it upside down and no it was Jane who was hunted.

'Jane, this is no good sign' Lisbon said when she stared at the huge smiley on the wall.

'And it really took you so long to get to this?' Jane asked lost in his thoughts.

He inspected the team's reaction. He himself had all lived through this once before and that time, it had been even harder, his wife and his child. Now Van Pelt, a member of his team. He didn't know her for so long, he didn't love her so much. It wasn't the same but the only thing he could describe this situation for himself was 'touching'.

He looked at Rigsby who just stared at her dead body. He didn't move and nobody told him to. They avoided to ask him something or to make him do something. Cho reacted like always, but even with fewer words than usual. He took along the order of his boss and did it. It was too silent. Nobody spoke except for when it was really necessary.

When the investigation came to an end, the pathologists carried away the body.

'I'm off then' Jane said and wanted to go.

'Hey, where are you going?' Lisbon asked.

'Red John told me to leave the country if I do not want more deaths.'

'You have one more week time. He said that only one per week is going to die' Cho mentioned neutrally.

'You can't go' Lisbon said surprised and angrily. 'You have to hunt him down. We have a murder case to solve.'

'This murder case has been open for over six years now. Just because he started sending me messages again doesn't mean it's close to being solved.'

'Are you giving up that easily?'

'Yes' Jane answered and walked downstairs to pack his things.

He really wanted to go abroad. He didn't want anybody to die because of him. He had underestimated Red John six years ago and he would never do this mistake anymore again. Already three people were dead because of him. Van Pelt even possessed traces of rape. He couldn't allow anybody else to die in her way. There was too much blood on his floor upstairs, too much blood on his own hands. He wouldn't allow anybody to get killed because of him.

He had to go and do whatever this psychopathic and perverse murderer wanted from him.

Lisbon entered the room.

'You could have knocked' Jane muttered without looking at her.

'Why are you deciding so spontaneous to flee from him? You never did that.'

'Look what he did to Van Pelt.'

'He also murdered your family.'

'I know' he said still searching some things together.

'Jane, why are you leaving? We will find him. As long as it takes.'

'This may be. But without me.'

'Jane!'

'Lisbon!' Jane said loudly and finally turned around. 'I don't want anyone to die because of me. I should leave Red John this triumph and that's it. Lisbon, understand, I'm tired from seeing what he does to my surrounding. I have no idea why he suddenly came on the idea to hunt me after I've been hunting him since the killing on my wife.'

There was a short silence.

'But I know' Lisbon muttered silently.

'What?' Jane asked with short breath.

'There was a killing, about two days ago' Lisbon started to explain without looking into Jane's blue eyes. 'We knew it was Red John and on a press conference we told that we were close to catch him. He felt so near because we knew he was back and we knew that he wouldn't escape a second time that easily.'

'What did you say? Why didn't I know?' Jane asked astonished about the fact that he hasn't had a single clue about this.

'We told that we would catch him. And I think he is punishing you for my arrogance to tell that we're close to arrest him.'

Jane thought for a while. 'No, when you say something bad about him or something he doesn't like, he kills people close to you. He killed Van Pelt because she was working for you. But why in my house, why does he send me the threatening?' Jane asked confused.

Lisbon looked at the floor. She couldn't tell him. 'I think he has been observing me for a while.'

'Who? Red John?'

She nodded. 'I felt like having paranoia. But I think I wasn't crazy, he must have been observing me' she confessed whispering.

How much has he found out?, she wondered. Did Red John know what she really felt toward Jane? Was this the reason why he was punishing him instead of her? Was she supposed to feel guilty now? She watched Jane packing his luggage and closing the trunk.

Without a single word he went past her and left the room. Lisbon stood there for a while and thought about him. Was Red John going to kill him anyway?

Lisbon was wakened up from her thoughts by Cho who knocked on the door. 'Can we go?' he asked.

They were ready with the investigation. Lisbon turned around.

'Where's Jane?' Cho asked when he realized that he wasn't in the room anymore.

'Gone' Lisbon explained and left the bedroom. She had never been able to prevent anything Jane was doing.

But this time she felt more responsible than ever. She couldn't watch him leaving the country.

She couldn't watch him running into Red John's spread and welcoming arms.

**Please review as it's my first Mentalist story (the crossover Mentalist/ NCIS which you can find on my profile, is written by Sabrina5312: I wrote Target I (NCIS) in English and she translated it into German; she wrote Target II (NCIS/Mentalist) in German and I translated the first chapters into English and Dark Lemony and I will translate the other chapters when we have time; so if you're interested into Mentalist you should also read Target II (and I) and the other Mentalist stories of Sabrina5312^^)**

**;)**


	2. Red Paint on the wall

**Hint I for the title: It's a binary code. 8 numbers are actually one number in decimal system.**

Chapter 2

'You have no idea where he is, right?' Rigsby asked when he put a cup of coffee on his boss' desk.

She shook her head. 'No' she answered honestly. He sat down next to her. 'It is all my fault' Lisbon muttered.

'It's not. Nobody could have foreseen this' Cho said when he entered the office.

'I should have' Lisbon cried. Tears were running down her cheek. She felt as weak as never before. Van Pelt was dead, Jane was being hunted by his nemesis who wanted his certain death and she was responsible for all of it. She had proudly told the news speaker how close they were to catch Red John. She should have known that it was exactly the same mistake which Jane had done six years ago. Red John must have watched her already or he wouldn't have known how much she really depended on Jane. He wanted to make him suffer so that she suffered, too.

'I'm going home' Lisbon decided and grabbed her bag and the coffee. It was close to midnight. The agents just nodded and looked over at Van Pelt's empty desk. Nobody could describe how they all felt. Lisbon didn't even know it herself. The usual words such as empty, restless, angry, and so on just couldn't describe this hatred inside her own heart. This hatred against Red John, against herself and how stupid she had been and against the rest of the world.

* * *

><p>She came to office the next morning and remembered that the director of CBI had told her to do an election to find a replacement for Van Pelt. Lisbon didn't feel ready for this at all. She just couldn't get the tears from her cheek and she looked horrible as more than only one person had already told her on the way to her office. She finally sat down on the chair for five seconds until Cho came in. 'The new job candidates are here' he informed her.<p>

Lisbon looked up.

'You look horrible.'

'Thanks. You aren't the first one this morning. What do you feel?'

Cho didn't answer.

'Sorry, wrong questions' Lisbon didn't even try to get through his wall. But she knew he felt the same as she did. This horrible pain from somewhere inside the heart. That pain that told her to find Red John, to torture him and to finally kill him.

'Can you take them along?' she asked. As the new boss of one of them she didn't want to get them to know like that. She couldn't think straight.

Cho nodded.

'Take Rigsby with you. You should choose your new colleague together' she advised him.

'Rigsby has been sitting at his desk since he came here at five am and since then he's just crying' Cho said.

'I know. I saw him. Just take him with you. I know it's hard for all of us.'

Cho nodded and when he left her office, she imagined having seen a single tear reflecting the light on his cheek.

* * *

><p>It was exactly one day and one week later and no new murder that could be obviously identified with Red John has happened. Cho, Rigsby and Lisbon really missed Van Pelt and they missed Jane as they still had no clue where he was. They had tried to locate him but when he had taken a flight, then somehow that they couldn't find it. Lisbon cried more often at nights now and she knew it must be a terrible first week for their new colleague Rachel Jones.<p>

Rachel tried to do the best as a new agent and Lisbon knew that they couldn't have found any better replacement. She was not like Van Pelt, not at all and she could never replace her position in the team but she was a good extension for them. She was good and Lisbon has been very impressed when she had seen her shooting for the first time.

They all used to solve new cases which weren't as interesting anymore because Jane wasn't there. Lisbon missed him so much and she hadn't heard a single word from him which worried her. Had Red John already found and killed him? Where the hell was Jane? However, she and the rest of the team were very relieved when exactly one week and a day after Van Pelt's death no other murder of Red John appeared. Lisbon was astonished that he really did what he promised and stopped killing as long as Jane stayed away.

But she also wondered how long this would last. Red John would murder again, it was just a question of time.

And the other question for Lisbon was: Was it going to be one of the team or any other insignificant and unknown man or woman he usually kills? They days went on and she wondered if Red John may be searching Jane, too and that he probably was abroad, too. She hoped so. As long as he stayed away from Sacramento he couldn't bring them into more trouble. But on the other hand, she really had concerns about Jane. He was very childish sometimes and used to take great risks. She wasn't sure if he was able to hide all on his own.

However, until now, he did a great job because in their spare time, the whole team tried to locate him, until now without success.

It was late evening when Lisbon was called in for a new murder. She went to the office of Rigsby, Cho and Jones and told them that she just got a call by police. The three agents took their clothes.

'Any idea who did it?' Rigsby asked when they were walking toward the elevator.

'The Police officer didn't reveal anything. He just told me to come' Lisbon explained and she had to admit that she was surprised, too, about not knowing anything. They arrived at the crime scene short time later. It was a big house and they passed the yellow tape that marked the scene.

'CBI' Lisbon introduced her and her team.

The chief police officer nodded. 'Follow me' he said and the four agents entered the house. It was huge and the owner obviously was rich. They followed upstairs and entered the bedroom. When Lisbon entered the first thing she was a huge smiley grinning at her.

She just stood there and stared at it like the rest of the team.

She just couldn't believe it:

He was back.

'Okay' she said still a bit confused and looked at the bodies. 'Jones, photos. Rigsby, evidences. Cho, drawing.'

The three agents nodded and did as they were told. Lisbon turned to the police officer who started to explain: 'They were both found this evening by their cleaning lady. The woman and the man both show signs of being sexual abused.'

'Both of them?' Lisbon asked surprised. It was unusual that a man got sexually abused, especially in a Red John case.

'Yes. The man was abused before death and the woman both, alive and post mortem.'

Lisbon tried to swallow.

'We think it were two' the police officer continued.

'What makes you think that?' Rigsby asked.

'The man was forced to sex while he was alive so I think it must have been a woman' he explained.

'I can't follow' Lisbon said.

'I assume it's difficult for women to get a man to sex when he's dead. Upside-down it's easier' Rachel muttered and took photos of the smiled.

'Ah' Lisbon started to understand. This was perverse.

'The woman shows signs of rape before and after death. Our pathologist says that she was also abused from behind but…just with the fingers.'

'Please what?' Lisbon asked.

'Never watched a soft porno?' Cho asked. Lisbon turned around. She would have never guessed him saying something like that. If Jane were here, it would be his part.

'The murderer used gloves' the officer continued. 'But we also found sperm on the woman which indicates a man.'

'I assume the DNA belongs to someone unknown who we call Red John' Cho suggested.

'This is right. The data bank said this. That's the reason why we called you' he answered.

'Okay, thank you' Lisbon said and the officer left the room so that the team was alone.

'Red John having a partner who helps her with his murders?' Rachel asked surprised.

'Wouldn't be the first time he has a girlfriend' Cho mentioned.

'But the first time she does the killing with him' Rigsby said.

'You're right. We have to assume that Red John has the help of a woman' Lisbon told her agents.

'This is awkward. When I compare this smiley to those I have seen on old case photos, it appears to be thinner' Rachel said standing in front of the huge grin.

Lisbon walked over to her and held up her hands next to the bloody smile. 'You're right. This one wasn't drawn by Red John. It was drawn by his girlfriend' she admitted. This new agent was really good.

'You mean, he is training his girlfriend to do the same as he does?' Rigsby asked confused.

'Maybe. Maybe he does it and kills her afterward. A man like him cannot be calculated. Carry on work, I will have a look on the cleaning lady who found the bodies' Lisbon said and looked at the corpses.

Both naked, both killed with a lot of cuts and stabs all over the body.

She left the room and went downstairs.

**Please review. Next chapter will be more about Jane.**


	3. Red Eye to France

**Hint II for the title: As there are 24 numbers, it must be actually 3 numbers of decimal system. The last number stands for how often 2^0, the second for 2^1; 2^2 and so on. if such a number is used, there is a '1', if not a '0'.**

**Example:**

**Decimal system: 19**

**Binary code: 10011**

**1*2^0=1**

**1*2^1=2**

**0*2^2=0**

**0*2^3=0**

**1*2^4=16**

**16+2+1=19**

**I know, you don't care because I'm going to reveal the real title anyway...later in the story ;)**

Chapter 3

It was dark and Jane was lucky that the Café was twenty-four hours open. He paid his Latte Macchiato and left it. He guessed the time about three o'clock in the morning. But he didn't want to return to the small hotel. He walked along the river and thought about what on earth he was doing there. Honestly, he had no idea. He was waiting for Red John to turn up. But why should he?

He did everything he wanted and now he was out of his life. This is what would be logical. But Jane knew that Red John was as obsessed with him as he was obsessed with Red John. He would find Jane, for sure. Finally, Jane decided to go back to the hotel. He had a bad conscious for not having called Lisbon. She must be very worried. Two weeks were over by now and he had no idea if the killing in Sacramento stopped. He imagined Rigsby or Cho having died already. He imagined Lisbon's dead and cold body lying on the floor and a huge bloody grin above her. He shook his head. It wasn't going to end like this. He needed to know that on the other side of the Atlantic everything was okay.

He sat down on the small bed in his hotel room. He had checked in under wrong name and managed somehow not to be asked too many questions. Well, the price for that was a life in the worst district in Paris. He hated his surroundings but he felt safe. Because everything here was so unsafe that if Red John hadn't followed him, he wouldn't expect him here.

He decided to call Lisbon. He dialed the number of her cell phone number. Jane felt so relieved when he heard her tender voice of the other side of the ocean. 'Hey, it's Jane' he started and directly knew that this was wrong. A huge explosion of words followed and she explained him what he'd done all wrong and that he shouldn't have escaped.

'Have any more murders happened?' Jane asked. This was the only thing that was important to him.

'Nobody of our team. We've had to other murders related to Red John. Both suggest that he had help.'

'Help?'

'We think that he is training a girlfriend in his subject so that she…'

'So that she can take over his work and occupy you while he is going to look after me' Jane finished her sentence.

'Yes, that's what I thought' his boss admitted.

Jane sighed. 'Has he already left the country?' he asked.

'We have no idea. You know, he's just a ghost wandering around and we have no clue concerning his girlfriend. We just know that she must be as perverse and crazy as him. She abused a man and a woman before and after they killed them. The last two smileys were drawn by her.'

'What kind of murders?'

'The first one was a married couple. That one with the rape. The last murder was a male student of Mathematics. The same scheme, first the big smiley and he was killed by multiple cuts of a knife. We think that it was her.'

'Great, do we already have a name for her?'

'No…Jane, please come back. You knew he wouldn't stop killing anyway so why did you leave?'

'When I come back he starts killing your team.'

'And if you don't he kills other innocent people. At least we can protect each other and catch him easier.'

'Don't say that. Don't say that it is easy to catch him' Jane said and stared outside the small and dirty window. Nothing was ever easy.

'I'm…I'm sorry' Lisbon muttered.

'Good night' Jane said and could only hear a 'Come back, Jane' by Lisbon when he hung up the phone. He sighed. He couldn't come back. He needed to wait for Red John.

* * *

><p>'I got him' Rachel said when Lisbon hung up the phone.<p>

'Where is he?' she asked and walked to her computer.

'He's in France, Paris. What the hell is he doing there?' Rachel explained and showed her boss a map of Europe.

'Great, we should go there' Lisbon determined directly.

'You want us to go to France?' Rigsby asked as if she had completely lost her mind. She just nodded. 'You go home and pack your things. I'm going to book the next flight.'

'We're all going?' Cho asked. He was used that Van Pelt as the newest member had always stayed at CBI HQ.

'We're all flying there' Lisbon declared when she left the office. The three agents looked at each other. There was no point in arguing with her but they all knew that it was wrong to leave the States now. Not when two psychopathic serial killers were outside and chasing Jane. They could easily follow the team to France.

Lisbon came back into the office. 'What are you waiting for? Go home and grab your things. We are meeting here again in one hour and drive to the airport.'

'When we go to France now, we're leading Red John and his Red Jane directly to him' Rachel said.

'Then we have to be careful' Lisbon simply responded and left again.

Rachel shrugged and stood up. They all had to do what the boss said.

* * *

><p>Jane had breakfast in a café nearby the small hotel. He knew that it had been a mistake to call Lisbon. She could easily look up the number from where he had called from and match it to the small hotel. He was absolutely sure that she knew where he was. But right now, he didn't care. He watched the joggers and business men walking by hectically while he was comfortably sitting there and doing nothing. He tried to relax but every time he managed it for a second, either the pictures from his daughter and wife or from the dead Van Pelt reappeared in front of his eyes. He paid and walked his way back to the hotel. Standing in front of the small building, he had no idea what to do next.<p>

He had spent the last weeks with visiting Paris and its surroundings but now he felt kind of empty inside. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed the team. He missed the CBI, he missed Cho and Rigsby and especially Lisbon. He had never known that he had missed her so much. So he decided to go to downtown. He tried to do shopping but he ended up walking restlessly through the shops and malls.

He sat down on a bank in front of the Louvre and watched people entering the huge glass pyramid. So many people to read. He knew that this woman had betrayed her husband the previous night, that this man has partied too much yesterday, that this boy was involved into drugs and that this elderly lady was an ex-cop. Jane sighed. It was easy to read people, sometimes. But Red John was a figure he would never be able to understand.

* * *

><p>It was evening again when Jane sat in an Internet Café and checked the arriving at the airport of today. He wasn't surprised to see the names Lisbon, Rigsby and Cho appearing on the screen. But he was surprised to see the name Rachel Jones. They had found a replacement for Van Pelt that easily? The director of CBI must have decided that they needed a new colleague.<p>

Jane saw that they have arrived about five minutes ago. Without hesitating he took the Metro back to the hotel, packed his things and checked out. For luck, he had been fast enough because he saw Lisbon, Cho, Rigsby and that new agent Jones stepping out of a Parisian Taxi. Jane observed them from behind the corner. Agent Rachel Jones seemed to be very young, about twenty year old, maximum. She was tall, very pale and had long, black hair. She was very thin, pathological leanness, Jane thought. The agents entered the hotel and Jane vanished around the corner.

He walked down the street. They would soon know that he had recently checked out at the hotel and would search him immediately because he couldn't have gotten so far. Jane nearly jogged to the next Metro station and used his Daily Ticket to enter the huge undergrounds of Paris.

He used five different colored lines to get to the Paris Airport.

He needed the next flight.

* * *

><p>'It just can't be. It's typical Jane' Lisbon said angrily when they all get to know that he had checked out five minutes before. 'Let's search him. Rigsby, Cho, you go right, Jones, we're going left. We need to find Jane!'<p>

The agents nodded but after five hours searching Paris from top to bottom they came to the conclusion that Jane must have left. Lisbon didn't say a single word when the team dined in a small restaurant after this horrible day. Actually, nobody said a word in fear to earn an evil glance from Lisbon. They all ate silently and hoped that Jane wouldn't do any stupid things. However, they all knew he would do. Well, because he was Jane. Lisbon finished eating and thought about it. She had no idea where Jane was but somehow she trusted him enough to know that he wouldn't directly run into Red John's arms. He was a responsible man and he knew what to do and what not to do. But she didn't know how long she could pretend feeling nothing toward him.

He was so strong and so clever and fooled everybody around. Although she would have never admitted that in front of anybody in his team, he always made her laugh although she could never show it. She had never spent much time thinking about how much she actually liked him but now that he was gone, everything changed. The team hasn't noticed yet, Cho and Rigsby were men, they never noticed anything and Rachel was new, she couldn't know.

Interiorly, Lisbon felt completely destructed. As if anybody ripped a part of her heart off.

Damn it, she loved Jane!

**Please review! ;)**


	4. Red Print on the paper

**Hint III: The numbers are 82, 89 and 68.**

Chapter 4

It was one day later when a Lisbon who was completely at wit's end, entered her office of CBI together with her team. They directly came here from the airport. But all four agents stopped in front of the door when they saw someone lying on the couch.

'Hey, how are you?' Jane asked and opened his eyes.

'Jane!' Lisbon yelled angrily and Jane sat up from the couch. 'In my office, now!' Lisbon screamed and pulled Jane's arm.

They both disappeared into her office. The three agents looked at each other and returned to their desks. They didn't want to experience how angry Lisbon could get with Jane. But how did he manage to come back so fast? And why did he come back?

* * *

><p>Lisbon and Jane left her office twenty minutes later. She ignored the glances of her suspicious agents. Of course they wanted to know how she had been angry with Jane. But she didn't want to think about it. She had pretended to be the angry boss once more. She hated it. However, the more serious concern was that as Jane returned, Red John would probably return killing members of the team.<p>

'We have a new case. Just got a call' Rigsby suddenly said when he hung up his phone.

'Who?' Lisbon asked.

'They couldn't identify him yet. It's in the Lux Atlanta hotel. One male body and a huge smiley on the wall' he explained with a serious face.

'Oh no' Lisbon muttered.

'But who? Didn't he say he would first kill the team?' Rachel asked surprised.

'Perhaps he changed his mind' Jane shrugged.

'Okay, we're going there. Grab your gear' Lisbon said and already walked down the corridor toward the elevator. Cho, Rigsby, Jones and Jane hurried up to follow.

* * *

><p>The Lux Atlanta was a huge hotel and a police officer received them in the entry hall. 'Could you identify the dead?' Lisbon asked.<p>

'No, madam. The suit he was found in wasn't actually booked. We have also evidences that show that he was brought there and killed then.'

'You mean, Red John kidnapped someone and brought him into the room?' Rigsby asked.

'Perhaps the person he wants to show us dead doesn't live in Sacramento but he needs us for the investigation' Jane said. They took the elevator upstairs and stood in front of the room 8472 _(just search '8472' on google images^^)_.

'Agent Lisbon?' the police officer said.

'Yes?'

'We found this piece of paper hanging on this door.'

He gave her a piece of paper which was inside of a usual evidence plastic bag.

She looked at it.

'We think it was written with a feather that was touched into the blood of our victim.'

_Dear Teresa Lisbon,_

_I think you have already found out that you made a huge mistake. I know how you feel toward Jane and I know how much it hurts you when he suffers. But I decided it would be unfair to only let him suffer._

_Now, it is your turn. The deaths destroyed Jane._

_How much death do you need? Is 'he' already enough or do I also have to demonstrate my power on his daughter?_

_Sincerely, Red John & his lovely girlfriend_

Lisbon read it twice. She held it close to her to avoid that the other agents could read it. Her hands began to tremble. Who did he kill? She couldn't imagine anybody. She opened the door and directly looked into a huge grinning face. This smiley was bigger than usual and she directly stared at it at the wall in front of her. She walked inside the room and saw the man lying on his bed. His clothes were removed and he was naked.

'Tommy' Lisbon whispered and ran toward the body. Jane sighed. This was not supposed to happen. Now Red John destroyed her family as he has destroyed his. Rachel looked at Rigsby and Cho.

'Her brother' Cho explained. The agents gathered around Lisbon. She was crying and screaming. Finally, Jane kneed down to her and hugged her deeply. 'Jane, oh Jane!' she yelled and whined. He hugged her and rocked her slightly in his arms.

'It's okay. It's okay' he whispered. The agents stood there, watching the scene, Jane hugging Lisbon for over five minutes. Nobody said anything or did anything. They were all too shocked. Red John was going too far.

The rest of the day Lisbon stayed at home. She walked straight into her bed and tried to sleep. She couldn't so she decided to take sleeping pills. She held the little box in her hands and thought about it. Shouldn't she just take all of them?

What was left to lose? 'What is left to gain?' a voice behind her said.

She turned around. 'Jane!' she said angrily. He has really scared her. 'What are you doing here?' she asked.

She put the sleeping pills back into her night table.

'I am watching you. So that you don't do any stupid things' he explained and sat down on the corner of the bed.

'Jane, I just can't…do this anymore' Lisbon felt tears running down her cheek again. She just couldn't stand it anymore, couldn't deal with the pain. But she couldn't tell him, she couldn't tell anybody.

'I know' Jane simply said.

She looked at him.

'I know how it feels.'

'Great, then we don't need to talk about my feelings' Lisbon said ironically.

'Do you want to kill Red John?' he asked.

She was surprised. 'Of course, of course I want to kill him.'

'Good, now you understand me.'

She couldn't believe it. 'It isn't about understanding, Jane. He killed my brother. He kidnapped his daughter! Oh God-'

'They're already looking for her' Jane tried to calm her down.

She just nodded absently. She needed a time out. She didn't want it anymore.

'You should sleep' he decided and walked around her bed to take out the sleeping pills. He took one and gave it to her. She swallowed it with a lot of water and he put the box into his own pocket.

'Hey!' Lisbon complained.

'You don't need more' Jane explained. 'I care about you' he added and walked back to the door.

'What about my other brothers?'

'The team is informing them. We sent police officers to guard them. The team doesn't go out alone, we all stay together. Nothing can happen, Lisbon.'

'I don't believe you' she said honestly.

'We keep us all safe. And when we get the chance, we finish Red John off. And his girlfriend. I promise' he responded calmly and walked out of the door. Five minutes later, Lisbon was already sleeping and she dreamed about Red John torturing her niece Annie.

* * *

><p>Jane returned to CBI. He lay down on the couch in the office and tried to sleep. He couldn't. He looked around. The team didn't notice that he was watching them. Rigsby was still crying, the whole waste paper basket was full of handkerchiefs. He needed eternity to find the letters on keyboard and he was working very slowly. Cho was way off, too. He seemed to be lost in thoughts, it was so unusual for him, this neutral guy being so lost because of the dead.<p>

Jane watched Jones for a while. She was really pretty, she had dark black eyes matching to her black hair and she only was nineteen years old, this was her first job since she finished police academy. He really liked her, she was nice, a bit shy as she was new in the team, but she found evidences in a crime scene other people probably would not see. She did her job really well and she didn't have the suffer of the rest of the team. She neither knew Van Pelt, nor Lisbon's brother and his daughter. But she understood that they were mourning. And she kept silent to it. She understood it. At least this was what Jane was interpreting in her. She was difficult to read, he had to admit.

The day went on and the team didn't work out anything that could help solving the case. Well, their hope was, now that Jane was back, that Red John went to murder again. Lisbon's other brothers were under surveillance by police and the team didn't go home alone. At midnight, Jane, Cho, Rigsby and Jones were the only ones left in the office.

'We should drive to Lisbon. She cannot handle it all on her own' Rigsby said.

'She has police cops outside the house. Red John won't do anything to her' Cho explained.

'And what shall we do? Stay awake all night long?' Rigsby asked.

'I'm gonna buy coffee' Cho decided and grabbed his jacket.

'I'm coming with you' Jones said and they left the office.

'Can they watch themselves?' Rigsby asked.

'I think so' Jane said and shrugged. 'Meanwhile, I could get some sleep' he added and lay down on the couch.

Rigsby couldn't believe his eyes. 'Is this what you always do? Sleep when there's a murder hunting outside?'

'Murders are always hunting and for me it isn't new that Red John kills people we love.'

'How can you say that so easily?' Rigsby shouted angrily.

'I know you loved Van Pelt. I loved my wife, too. You know how I have been feeling for over six years now' Jane said and tried to find a comfortable position on the couch.

The agent couldn't believe it. 'Yes, I loved Van Pelt and I'm going to kill the man who did this!'

'Good luck' Jane said. The murder on Van Pelt was over two weeks ago now.

Rigsby let himself fall into his chair. 'I can't believe it' he muttered. 'I can't believe it.'

'Can you do this more silent? I try to sleep' Jane murmured and Rigsby jumped off the chair.

He ran over to Jane and pulled him at his collar. 'I loved her. Maybe you don't know it anymore because you don't even remember your wife. She is dead, Jane! Van Pelt is dead! Lisbon's brother is dead!'

'What? Is it unfair now because more people than just me brought sacrifices?'

Rigsby didn't know how to respond on that and hit Jane with his right fist. Jane screamed and Rigsby was already jumping onto him.

They both fell down to the floor and tried to scratch or hit the other one. Suddenly, Jane's cell phone rang. Rigsby went off him so that the counselor could answer his cell.

'Yeah?' he asked.

'Jane! Oh my god!' he heard the voice of an obviously scared Rachel.

'What is it, Jones?' he asked worried.

'He stabbed Cho! We-'

'What? We're on our way. Where are you? What happened?' Jane looked at the confused Rigsby. He formed the word Red John with his mouth and Rigsby suddenly had the most worried face he had ever seen.

'We were walking along the street. Suddenly a man with a black cloak and a mask jumped onto Cho from behind and held a knife at his neck. He directly stabbed the knife into Cho's stomach and told me something about a tiger. He ran away. I already called the ambulance so you will find us in hospital. I'm sorry I couldn't chase him but I needed to stay with Cho-'

'It's okay. We meet us at the hospital' Jane hung up the phone.

With a concerned face he looked at Rigsby who was staring at him. 'He stabbed Cho and they're on the way to the hospital. He cited the tiger poem again' he explained.

'And Jones?'

'She cared for Cho. She did the right thing. At least she wasn't stupid enough to follow Red John on her own. Then she would have become the next smiley' Jane said and they both left the office to hurry to the hospital.

'But why didn't he stab Jones?' Rigsby asked when they sat in the car.

'I don't know.'

'This is illogical.'

'He knows that Jones is new. He wants to scare her.'

'Do you really think so?'

'No.'


	5. Red Sprinklers on the ground

**Hint IV: It's called the ASCII-Code.**

Chapter 5

When Annie woke up again, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't in her room at her house anymore. She remembered a man knocking her off shortly after he shot at her father. Annie tried to sit up but her hands and her legs were tied together. She looked around. She was in a big room, it looked like an old factory, somewhere in an abandoned working area. She heard footsteps from behind and turned around. She still sat on the ground and she looked up to the man who now stood in front of her. He was tall, wore a black coat, black gloves and a red mask.

'Who are you? What do you want from me? What have you done to my father?' she screamed wildly. She didn't want the man to know how scared she actually was.

'So many questions' he said in a calm voice.

'Then answer them!' Annie shouted.

'You're father is dead. I killed him' the man said.

Annie imagined a smile on his face behind the mask. She couldn't believe it. Why? She yelled out the best curses she knew but finally went silent again when the man in front of her did not show any reaction.

'You have no idea who I am' the man said.

She shook her head.

'Has your aunt ever told you about the murder on Patrick Jane's wife and daughter?'

Annie thought. Of course she had. It needed a time to make 'click'. She didn't believe it.

'You're not Red John' she muttered silently.

'And who am I then?'

Annie turned her head away. This could not be. She must be dreaming. She couldn't believe that this man murderer her father. 'What do you want from me?' she whined.

'It's simple. Your death' the man said in his calm and disciplines voice.

'No' Annie cried. 'No!'

Why on earth her? 'Why is it so important for you? Why?' she asked.

'First of all, you should look at me when we're talking' he said and kneed down to her. He touched her chin and turned her head toward him. 'That's better. I want your aunt to suffer. Therefore I had to kill Van Pelt, your dead and finally you.'

'Why?'

'Because she talked about me very badly.'

'What did she say?'

'Oh, she was so proud to say how close they were to catch me. I just want to prove that I am the one who has the power about them.'

'You're not even courageous enough to show me your face' she said angrily.

He just laughed. 'You have no idea what it means to die and to kill. You never suffered, you never were tortured' he whispered.

She looked at him scared. He was absolutely crazy and she remembered the stories Teresa used to tell her.

Suddenly she heard a door opening and closing again. Red John stood up again and a second person entered the room.

'I am sorry that I am late' Annie heard a woman saying. 'You started?'

'No' Red John said. 'I didn't want you to miss anything.'

Annie looked up. There was a woman standing next to the masked man. It was dark and she could hardly see her.

'What about Cho?' Red John asked.

'He'll survive. Jane is with Lisbon and tries to solace her. Rigsby is at home crying over Van Pelt' the woman explained.

'You wanna kill her?' he proposed her.

Annie felt like losing her sense for reality. Were they really going to kill them? Did it hurt? She just couldn't imagine.

'Don't you want to have your fun with her first?' the woman asked in a neutral voice.

He nodded.

'No' Annie whispered because she hoped she was wrong with what she thought would happen next. Unfortunately, she was right. She watched the man tearing off his mask and throwing it on the ground.

Now she could see his face when he also removed his hood. He was a tall man, about one meter and eighty-eight centimeters high. He had short, dark brown hair, a dark brown three-days-beard.

He kneed down in front of her again. She looked into his dark brown eyes that showed nothing but hatred and disrespect. 'If you don't defend yourself too much, I promise you that it won't hurt…much' she looked into his evil smile and wished she could just hit him into his face.

He loosened her ties and started to remove her clothes. He held her so tight that she could barely move.

She tried to hit him, to escape but he was too strong for her. She looked into the face of the woman nearby. She just stood there, not moving, no reaction in her face, no pity in her eyes.

A minute later both Annie and Red John lay naked on the floor. Annie screamed as loud as she could but nobody heard her. Red John laughed all the time and after about fifteen minutes he stood up again.

He put on his clothes again and kissed his girlfriend. 'It's your turn' he whispered into her ear.

She smiled and kneed down next to Annie lying on the floor. She looked at the ceiling that was far away and her glance was absent. She didn't realize what has just happened. She couldn't think anymore, she was alive anymore. Something that made her live just left her. She turned her head and looked into the girl's raven-hued black eyes.

She was smiling and held up a knife which blinked in the moonlight that was falling in through the high windows. Annie felt the first cut on her belly. She looked at the blood flowing out of the wound and on the ground. She saw the red liquid shimmering on the knife and dripping down. The woman smiled at her. Somehow the first cut hasn't hurt that much. But after a few more deep scratches she fell back yelling and screaming in pain and anger. She wanted to defend herself, to hit and kick around but somehow she couldn't move anymore.

She looked at her belly, at her arms and at her legs which were all drowned in a dark red color.

'She's screaming so much' the girlfriend said without any emotion in her voice.

Red John stood behind her. 'Cut out her tongue' he ordered.

'No' Annie whispered in a low voice. She repeated it more strongly again and again until the woman took her head and violently opened her mouth.

Annie felt like her heart being ripped out, so strongly it pulsed. Her mouth filled with liquid and she turned aside and watched it flowing out of her mouth. She saw something red and bloody lying next to her.

'Yes, that's your tongue' the woman said. Annie looked at her in disbelief. She wanted to scream but only managed to do a loud voice that didn't even resemble any kind of speaking. She wanted to jump at her and kill her but she couldn't.

She looked up at Red John who seemed to get farer away and farer away. The lights went darker and suddenly it was black around her.

'Is she dead, Rachel?' Red John asked.

Rachel felt the teenager's pulse. Annie was just one year younger than she was. 'No' she stated.

Red John nodded. 'Let's bring her into Lisbon's house and kill her there' he said.

'Jane and Lisbon are both at her house. It would be risky to bring Annie in there' Rachel said and stood up.

'Then we should get the two agents out of her home' he said shortly and helped her pulling Annie's body into a body bag. They put her in the back of Rachel's car and drove to Lisbon's house. She parked about two blocks away.

He pulled out his cell phone. 'They can't locate it anyway' he said and dialed Jane's phone number.

He put it on loudspeakers. 'Jane' they both heard a voice answering.

Rachel smiled at Red John.

'Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright/

in the forests of the night/

What immortal hand or eye/

Could frame the fearful symmetry.

How is Cho?'

He hung up the phone again. They both waited now. 'Are you sure this will work?' he asked his girlfriend.

She nodded. 'He will think that you aim to kill Cho now. And he won't leave Lisbon alone at home.'

And it turned out she was right. Only one minute later they saw the silhouettes of two persons leaving the house and driving away. She parked her at the back of Lisbon's house and they carried Annie into the sleeping room. They put her on Lisbon's bed and Red John fondled the little girl's hair.

'You wanna rape her once more?' Rachel asked and folded the body bag again. 'She is still alive' she remembered him.

'We have not enough time' he mentioned.

'But wouldn't it be a satisfaction to sexually abuse Lisbon's niece in her own bed?' she asked smilingly at Red John. Now he smiled, too. He removed his black cloak and started undoing the rest of his clothes.

Suddenly, Rachel's cell phone rang. 'It's Jane' she explained. 'I think he wants me to come to the hospital, too, because he fears you take along the rest of the team.'

She went downstairs while Red John carried on occupying with Annie who was still unconscious. About a minute later Rachel came upstairs again.

'Finished?' she asked when her boyfriend stepped down from the girl's body.

He nodded and put on his clothes again. 'It's been a long time since I have seen you naked' he said and kissed Rachel on her lips.

She touched his cheek. 'Tomorrow night. I promise' she responded and kissed him once more.

She walked over to Annie and pulled out her knife she always wore at her leg, under the jeans. She stabbed it right into the heart of the girl. Red John pulled on a glove on his right hand and started painting a smiley on the wall. It was huge and the first thing to be noticed when you entered the room.

They both left the house again and especially Rachel was careful not to leave any DNA at the crime scene.

She brought Red John to his little small flat and then drove on to the hospital where Cho was still lying.

**I always welcome Reviews! ;)**


	6. Red Love in the bed

Chapter 6

'I'm sorry that I am late' she said when she entered Cho's room. Jane, Rigsby and Lisbon were standing around the bed.

'Jane got a call from Red John' Lisbon explained. 'He quoted Tyger, Tyger again and then mentioned Cho.'

'And now you all think that I'm going to be his next victim' Cho rolled his eyes.

'You have to take it serious!' Lisbon said.

'Isn't one police officer in front of my room enough?' Cho asked.

Lisbon sighed.

'I think it was a trap' Jane suddenly said.

'What trap?' Rigsby asked.

'I don't know. But he wanted us to come here so that he had time to prepare something for us.'

Lisbon looked up at the ceiling. She had to pretend to hate it when Jane did this all the time. Actually because he was always right. But she wanted to know what it was about.

'What do you mean?' she asked but he already left the room.

He was like a little boy, you had always have to keep an eye on him. Lisbon jumped into Jane's car and Rigsby and Jones followed them in Jones' car.

* * *

><p>Jane parked in front of Lisbon's house. They all got out and followed Jane who was running inside.<p>

'Jane! Wait, Jane! What are you doing?' Lisbon screamed running after him.

Then, they all stood in Lisbon's bedroom and stared at it. Lisbon was the last one to enter. She saw the huge smiley and her niece Annie lying on her bed. Rigsby swallowed hard. Jane was shocked, too. Lisbon cowered down next to the body. Nothing could move her away from that position for the next forty minutes.

Finally, Rigsby and Jones drove back to CBI headquarters to find out more.

'How did you know?' Lisbon asked and looked up at Jane who stood nearby the window. They body already was on the way to Autopsy.

'I wouldn't leave the smiley on the wall for the next years. It drives you crazy' Jane mentioned and pointed at the bloody face.

'I know. You still sleep under it?' she asked.

He nodded shortly and came back to her. He helped her sitting up on a chair.

'You really think Red John raped my niece?' she asked.

'That's what the pathologist said' Jane said and touched her arm. He didn't know why but he felt responsible for solacing her. She was so small, so light and so broken, so weak although she was such a strong girl. Red John destroyed her completely. 'Come here' he muttered and they hugged. They hugged deeply and she never wanted to let him go ever again.

It felt like eternity and he fondled her back and she liked it. She couldn't manage to smile, even if she wanted to, she had lost her smile with the loss of her brother Tommy and her niece Annie. She had loved them so much. And she loved Jane so much.

Red John must know and she brought him into more danger than he was already in. Red John had just wanted to kill Jane but now he knew that with torturing Jane he also made her suffering. She cried, loudly and didn't care what Jane thought about her. She wanted to be free, to feel relieved once more. She had always had those responsibilities in her life which she never wanted. Caring for her brothers after her mum's dad and finally after her dad's dead. Caring for her team. She lost parts of her family and parts of her team.

Which part was going to die next?

'What do you think who is going to die next?' Rigsby asked.

They were back at CBI HQ trying to find out any relevant information but it seemed to be hopeless. The murderer hasn't left a single piece of evidence.

'I don't know' Jones said. 'I mean, he's after Lisbon now. Who is near to her?'

Rigsby thought for a second. 'Her brothers.'

'She has three, right?'

He nodded.

'I think after them he'd make Jane suffer again.'

'Why?' he asked.

'Well, I think Lisbon likes Jane.'

He laughed. 'You really think so?' he asked in disbelief.

Jones nodded. 'Yeah, never noticed?'

'Ja, might be but…I don't know.'

She shrugged and turned back to the computer. They didn't find out a single piece of information this night.

* * *

><p>Lisbon couldn't sleep in her own house now that it was a crime scene. Jane offered her to stay over at his house and she even lay in his bed right now. He brought her a cup of tea.<p>

'Pay attention. It's hot' he warned her when he put the cup down on the night table.

'You still have my sleeping pills' she reminded him.

'You won't need them' he said and sat down on the corner of the bed.

'Jane, I thank you that you let me stay over at yours but I need to forget what I happened.'

'I know it is hard times for you, Lisbon. I went through it, too.'

Lisbon felt tears running silently down her cheeks. 'Van Pelt, Tommy, Annie…he injured Cho. He's training a girlfriend. I just can't…stand it anymore' she started to cry. She loved Jane so much and she knew that he was going to be the last sacrifice to give.

The last one to die, the last hit by Red John.

She was absolutely sure that he knew about how she felt toward Jane and that he only waited for the day to make him suffer. It would be a satisfaction, to hurt Jane and Lisbon at once. 'I just thought…his girlfriend must be like him' she started saying.

'That means she is as crazy as he is. Do you think she watched him raping Annie?' Jane only sighed before Lisbon carried on talking. 'Annie was only sixteen, I mean. She was sixteen and got sexually abused and killed. She had had her whole life in front and now she died because I did a mistake. Because I told on the press conference how close we were to catch him. And how pathetic it would actually be-'

'You what?' Jane asked surprised and stood up. 'Say that again.'

'How close we were to catch him?' she responded surprised.

'No, no. How pathetic it would be. Did you say _it_ or did you say how pathetic _he _would be?' he asked intensively.

'I don't know, I don't care' she said shaking her head.

'But he does. He takes every word you say personally. You directly called him names and he thinks you have to pay for that. Therefore Van Pelt, Tommy and Annie. He is doing several murder, six years ago he only killed my family, two murders.'

'Yeah, perhaps I said too much, more than you and he punishes me stronger. I know that I did a mistake, Jane!' she yelled. She breathed deeply. She had shouted at him again although she didn't want to.

She liked him so much, couldn't he see it or didn't he want to see it?

She looked up and was scared about how he stared at her. 'I…I'm sorry, Jane' she muttered.

'I am sorry' she repeated a bit louder. She hoped he understood that she meant it like that. 'It's okay. You've had a rough week' he said shortly. He wanted to say something more but then turned away and walked back to the door.

Lisbon thought about if she should tell him, only three words she had to say. She wanted but she couldn't. By admitting this, she gave Red John more than just a reason, she gave him that satisfaction. She wanted to protect Jane. She remembered how he had wanted to protect her by fleeing to France. He had done this sacrifice for her, perhaps he felt something, too.

Or was it just that friendship, that he just didn't want her being injured and hurt?

Jane went down to the kitchen. It was ten pm already and he was tired. He wanted to sleep on the couch but he just couldn't decide to sit down and relax. Not when there was a killer outside. But this killer had been being outside for over six years and he always tried to do something against it, to catch him, but he never succeeded. Why did he think he would ever succeed?

People around him were dying, his beloved wife, his daughter, Van Pelt, Cho being hurt, Tommy and Annie. Who was next in line? Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Unknown number so he took the call along. Perhaps another message of Red John who just wanted a clear way to dispose his body.

He was surprised when a female voice started to speak but although the woman didn't tell who she was, he immediately: 'In what distant deeps or skies/ Burnt the fire of thine eyes?/ On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare sieze the fire? Watch out, Jane.' There was a click and the voice was gone. Jane knew it has been Red John's girlfriend. She had quoted the second stanza of 'The Tyger'.

The first one Red John always told. Jane sighed. The woman had sounded young and she has obviously disguised her voice. But he was sure to have heard the voice once before. But he didn't know where to sort her in.

Jane thought for a while. Although it had been an unidentified number, the cell had saved it. Jane dialed the ring-back key and hoped that the same person would answer.

'Jane, I wasn't prepared for you calling back' a male voice answered.

Jane recognized it. He hated that voice. 'I congratulate you for having a new girlfriend. Are you going to invite me to her funeral?' Jane tried to sound neutrally. He feared that they would both sit outside watching him right in that moment. Red John laughed dryly.

'You don't understand, Jane. She is like me. She loves me and I love her. Like you and Lisbon. Wait, do you love her?'

Jane did not respond. He saw no point in playing those games with Red John. But on the other side, he could just hang up the phone so Jane simply said: 'If that were the case, why should I tell you?'

'Ah, you try not to play all the cards at once. But unfortunately you are underestimating me.'

'Am I?'

'Yes. Give me another reason why I could murder the persons most related to you or your girlfriend.'

Jane breathed deeply when he said 'girlfriend'. This could be very dangerous for Lisbon because it was long time since the chase between Jane and Red John has become personal.

'Great, can you tell me who you are going to kill next? It would be easier for me to estimate it' he tried. Red John laughed again, shortly and unnaturally.

'Why should I tell you?'

'Would be fun…and a challenge.'

'The next one I kill will be Lisbon's brother James.' After those words, the line was dead.

Jane didn't waste any time to call Rigsby. It took only four more minutes until a special force of CBI was on its way to where James lived, not far from Sacramento. Jane walked back to his bed to recognize that Lisbon was already asleep. He didn't want her to wake up and tell her more things to worry about. An hour later, James was brought to CBI where Rigsby, Jane and Jones already waited for him.

They all settled down in the office and tried to pass the rest of the night. It became morning and James asked if he could go home as he didn't see the danger. But Rigsby shook his head.

'Red John is still out there and I don't doubt that he waits as long as it takes.'

'I don't think so' Jane mentioned.

'He wants to act fast because he wants to demonstrate how much power he has. Therefore he won't wait that long. He'll grab the next chance he gets.' Jane stared outside.

'But it doesn't help if you protect me when I'm starving in here' James said.

'I'm gonna buy breakfast' Jones said and stood up.

'You shouldn't go alone' Rigsby warned her.

'The last time I went together with someone, Cho ended up in hospital' she reminded him.

'However, you won't go alone' Rigsby decided and stood up.

'I'll accompany her' Jane suddenly stood up, too and Rigsby sat down again.

Jones looked confused but he just smiled at her.

'Let's go' he said and she hoped that he didn't suspect anything. Jane wasn't a person to underestimate, that was what she had told Red John when he had decided to go after Lisbon and Jane. She had agreed to his plans after he had promised that he would allow her to kill at least one of the two.

They walked through the early morning streets and shopped at the bakery. They came back and Rigsby just hung up his phone. He seemed to be very worried. 'What's up?' Jane asked.

'Red John just called me' Rigsby explained and Jane nearly let the roles fall down. Jones grabbed them and put them on the table.

'What did he say?' she asked.

'That if we didn't let James go home without protection, he would kill Lisbon.'

'God, I haven't told her that James is here. By the way, where is he?'

'Toilet. He's alright.'

'I need to see Lisbon' Jane decided suddenly and vanished. Rigsby wanted to follow him but Jones shook her head.

'He can watch himself' she muttered and sat down next to Rigsby. 'We should rather assure that nothing happens to James.'

* * *

><p>Jane entered his house. 'Lisbon? Lisbon!' he shouted and ran upstairs.<p>

'What's up, Jane?' she asked and looked up from his bed.

'Oh God, I thought…I thought he has you' he breathed deeply standing in the door.

'Who? Red John? Wha…why?' she asked confused. 'What happened?' she said and wanted to get up.

'No, no, it's alright. He called me and threatened to kill your brother James but it is alright. He's safe at CBI headquarters. Rigsby and Jones watch him. But then he called Rigsby that if we didn't give him free he would call you.'

'I need to see my brother!'

'No' he said and touched her on her shoulders and softly pushed her back into his bed. 'It is everything alright. Nothing to care about' he said.

'Jane!' she sighed half angry and half relieved. He sat down on the corner of the bed. She started to smile when she saw the smile on his face. 'What?' she asked.

'You're so beautiful when you're angry' he said.

She tried to be upset but she couldn't hide her feelings. She needed to laugh. It felt so good after all these days of horror and pure terrorism by Red John. She smiled at him and she smiled back. What is wrong? Lisbon thought. She felt something she always felt when he was near, but so intensive now.

'Jane, I-' she started to say but he put his pointing finger on her mouth.

'There's nothing to say' he whispered.

She was confused. Did he finally really think and feel what she thought and felt? Why hasn't he acted earlier? She bent closer to him and he to her. She looked into his so intensively blue eyes. She felt like drowning in an ocean. Then, all of sudden, their lips started to meet. They were so softer, much more tender than she had expected. It felt like eternity and she loved to stay in this eternity.

She never wanted to quit, quit his lips, his closeness, him. Then, they went off each other, their faces only centimeters away, they looked into each other's eye.

'What have we done?' he whispered. He must think that he drove her in that way. But she wanted it, she had wanted it all over the time.

'The right thing' she answered and kissed him once more.

More kisses followed, shorter and he pushed her gently down on the bed. He crawled above her and they continued kissing and laughing. He put a strand of hair out of her face and started to touch her cheek. It felt so good to her and she liked it. Suddenly, she started to undo his shirt. He was surprised but didn't stop her. He wanted her to do this, he had wanted it for such a long time. Has she always known this?

Has she always felt the same way? She had never told him, she could have given him hints. He cursed himself for not having seen them. He opened her blouse and was surprised on how big her boobs actually were. They had always been hidden by her suit and pressed into form by her bra. He couldn't wait until he could finally fully see them. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

There was so much tension between them. Only a few seconds later, Jane found himself standing on the floor, his trousers down, only wearing his underpants. She laughed looking at him and he crawled back onto her, just wearing underpants, too and a bra. Suddenly, she turned around on her belly and he wiped her hands away to start kissing her neck.

'I have never known' he whispered.

'How much you actually like me?' she asked challenging.

'How much I actually love you' Jane answered and tried to open her bra with his mouth.

'How long do you need for this?' she asked after a while.

'It's difficult. You could try it yourself!' he paid back and then undid her bra.

She turned around again and he was fascinated by her big tits, always having been pressed together and now they unfolded their true greatness. He continued kissing her wildly and his hands slipped over her belly and reached higher until he grabbed her boobs and touched them, felt them. She moaned for relief, for finally doing what she had always wanted to do.

Express her feelings, express who she was and not hiding behind this mask, pretending to be unimpressed by Jane's skills, being the boss of him. He should have known as she had always letting him do. But he had never recognized…but now, she finally could tell him, what she had always felt. She just hoped that right now, he felt exactly the same. She didn't want to destroy the moment of happiness, of forgetting what has happened or what was happening.

She just wanted to feel again, feel who she really was.

They both removed their underpants and continued kissing and touching each other. They smiled and laughed. But suddenly Jane stopped and lay down next to her.

'What's up?' she asked.

'It's not right' he said.

'Not right?' she asked. 'Not right? God, Jane, why do you think it isn't right. I don't care because of work and their rules.'

'That's an interesting thing to hear from you.'

'Jane!' she said loudly but quickly added: 'I'm sorry…I just wanted it for so long and now…but you know it's right for both of us.'

'Lisbon, please don't understand me wrong. I do really have feelings for you. But…Red John would kill you immediately.'

Lisbon sat up. 'Red John? Is that all you care about? Red John?'

'Lisbon, please understand, he is dangerous' he tried to calm her down.

'Dangerous? Dangerous? Jane, I know. I know what he did to Van Pelt. And to Cho, to Tommy and to Annie.'

'But you don't know what he did to your wife. I don't want you to experience the same' he said sadly.

'I don't care, Jane. As long as I can be together with you, I don't fear him. He can stand in front of me, but I just want to be together with you.'

She sighed.

'I love you, Jane' she said and stared into his light blue eyes.

She couldn't recognize anything but suddenly she saw a kind of reflection in them.

He smiled again. 'I love you, too. And I will always protect you from evil' he said and kissed her again.

'Only from evil? Not from anything else?' she asked while he pressed her back into bed again.

'Protecting you from evil already is a challenging task. Don't demand to much' he said calmly and laughed again.

They turned around so that she lay above him. They kissed wildly and she kissed his mouth, got lower to the chin, his neck, she kissed his breast and got lower and lower. He fondled her hair and she held his waist. She touched it and kissed his belly.

She went lower and started to give him head.

**Please review.**


	7. Red Sign on the mirror

**When you like the story, please review.**

**When you dislike the story, please review.**

**That would be kind.**

Chapter 7

Midnight passed and Jones, James Lisbon and Rigsby waited at CBI HQ for any reaction of either Red John or an all-clear call by Jane. But nothing happened.

'I'm going to the restrooms' James decided and went away.

'Shall we go after him?' Jones asked.

'For wiping his ass?' Rigsby shook his head.

'I'm having a look' Jones decided after a minute.

'Red John won't kill him in the restrooms' Rigsby answered bored.

She shrugged and went to the men's restrooms. She opened the door and saw James washing his hands. 'I'm already finished' he said. 'I see' she responded and closed the door behind her. James dried his hands and wanted to pass.

'We can go' he declared but she just smiled. 'Red John is sending his greetings. He told me that you were mine' she said and looked into his confused eyes.

It only took her a second to kill him with a direct hit of her bare hand on his neck, directly left under his chin. He was dead immediately and fell down to the ground.

Rachel walked over to him until she stood above him. She looked down at the dead body. She took the knife that she always hid in her shoe and which was covered by her jeans and kneed down.

'Red John would love to see this' she said to herself while she stabbed the knife several times into his body and created multiple deep cuts. It didn't bleed much as the cuts were added post mortem. She knew that the pathologist would find that out but she wildly cut him into pieces and created bloody and horrific patterns on the corpse. She smiled while she did so and finally licked the blood from her knife and put it back in her shoe. She pulled out a glove and started drawing a big smiley on the mirror. The first thing you saw when entering the restrooms.

She was satisfied with her work and put the glove back into the pocket of her jeans. 'Showtime' she muttered and with a confused and scared face she ran over to Rigsby to tell him what happened.

* * *

><p>An hour later nearly everybody was back at HQ to investigate the murder. Cho was back from hospital and Jane and Lisbon returned, too. They played perfectly their roles but everybody knew that something must have happened. Lisbon cried for hours in her office and Jane solaced her. The other agents let them be alone. It was early morning and Jones, Rigsby and Cho were drinking a coffee together for not falling asleep after such a night.<p>

'But the main question is how Red John managed to enter the Headquarter. He couldn't have gained entry that easily' Cho said.

'He could have had help from inside. Therefore all surveillance cameras have been offline' Jones added not mentioning that Red John was sitting at home, watching them right at the moment and having the control for every camera in the building.

'But who? Everybody was at home' Rigsby said and looked into the round.

'You were the only ones here' Cho declared the obvious and looked at both of them.

'Wait' Rigsby and Jones said together.

'You don't think that one of us is Red John, do you?' Rigsby asked surprised.

'No, but a worker or killer for him could be possible' he answered.

Jones and Rigsby looked at each other. 'He's crazy' he declared.

'No, but we all need sleep.' They haven't noticed that Lisbon stood behind them and turned around.

'Go home, all of you' she ordered nicely. Her face was red and she had cried so much. Her eyes were as big as they had never been before and completely wet like an ocean. Jane stood behind her and just nodded.

He didn't smile as he usually used to. The team just nodded and left without a word.

* * *

><p>Jones entered her small flat where Red John already waited for her. She came into the small sleeping room and saw him sitting at the desk.<p>

'Can you please shut off the music?' she asked and hugged him from behind.

'You never liked Bach, did you?' he asked and gave her a kiss.

'No, and I never will. What are you doing?'

'What does it look like?'

'Something bad and evil' she answered alluringly and kissed his neck.

He laughed shortly.

'You're watching Jane and Lisbon at her home.'

'Thanks to the cameras you placed there.' Then he shut off the computer. 'Enough' he decided.

He turned around and she sat down on his knees. 'And what shall we do today? I don't have to work.'

He kissed her again and they both stood up kissing. His hands slipped over her body and under her blouse. He pushed her gently on the bed and opened the buttons of her light blue blouse. 'I have no idea' he whispered in his slimy voice that scared hell out of so many people, most of them hadn't survived his visit.

She removed his black shirt and opened his trousers. They continued kissing and making out on her bed while also talking about who to kill next. During opening the condone package they imagined the worst ways to kill Patrick Jane personally.

* * *

><p>It was the following day and the team got a new case. It was nothing special and it took about five minutes for Jane to find out that the gardener has been the evil and guilty one. Nobody talked much about the losses or about the inoffical relationship between Jane and Lisbon. They haven't told the team and they avoided talking about that topic.<p>

'Do you think they had sex?' Rigsby whispered to Cho and Jones while they watched the corpse being carried away.

'Would be logic' Cho said shortly and Jones just nodded.

'Wow' Rigsby said looking into their direction. 'Do you think it will hold on?' he asked.

'Yes' Cho estimated and they walked over to the car to drive back to Sacramento again. They continued working on cases and continued mourning for the losses they had. Lisbon wanted a funeral for James, Tommy, Annie and Van Pelt together as they were the victims of the same perverse serial killer who had no scruple and no respect in front of anybody.

Jane estimated that Red John would appear on the funeral but there just were so many people that he had no chance to see anybody particular in the crowd. Of course, he was right. Red John attended the ceremony on the cemetery but he kept calm and just watched as a silent observer. The days passed without any reaction or respond of Red John but he wasn't forgotten by the team. They just didn't talk about it.

Jane and Lisbon carried on their relationship as they saw no point in hiding from someone who was hiding, too. They had all expected any sign of their wanted murder but nothing in that direction happened. It seemed as if he had forgotten them. Jane didn't know why, he had no idea why Red John terrified them and gained so much power, demonstrating what he was able to do and then just vanished and disappeared from one day to another. Jane has had hope to catch Red John when he left his hiding but now it felt as if all hope was gone.

Lisbon's third and youngest brother appeared on the funeral, against Lisbon's wishes he stayed in a hotel and not at her house. Jane was glad about it because he wanted Lisbon on his own. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her because he didn't know how long it would take for RJ to return and finally fulfill his last task.

* * *

><p>It was the night after the funeral when Rachel and Red John decided to kill the last one of Lisbon's brother. They drove to the hotel and knocked at his door. When the brother opened he only saw Rachel first. She smiled and asked if she could come in to talk. Red John followed immediately and she watched a fight between the two men which was easily won by Red John with the knife in his hands.<p>

Rachel closed the door behind her and looked at her boyfriend performing his usual procedure by cutting the body. Finally, she felt the victim's pulse and nodded.

'He's dead' she declared and he started to paint a smiley on the wall, dipping his glove into the open wounds and bringing the blood on the wall. She smiled while watching him. She liked it how he loved his job.

He pulled off his glove and turned around to Rachel who smiled at his dark brown eyes.

Suddenly, he kneed down in front of her and pulled out a little box from inside his black coat.

He opened it in front of her and there was a small, golden ring inside.

'Oh my god' Rachel murmured and held her hands in front of her mouth.

'Rachel Jane Jones, would you like to marry me?' he asked and looked into her completely black eyes.

She couldn't believe her ears. It was so impossible and unbelievable.

'Oh my god, John, yes' she answered and he put the ring onto her left ring finger. It fitted perfectly.

He stood up and gave his girlfriend a long and intensively emotional kiss. They hugged each other and she still was unbelievable happy.

'Oh god, I love you so much' she whispered into his ear and hugged him again.

Of course, she wasn't interested into their age difference, she was nineteen and he was in his thirties. He was much taller than her, about six feet tall, one meter eighty-something, not muscular, but still muscular enough for a man. She was far too thin, pathological leanness, but still a bit muscular, she would win a fight against a man of Rigsby's or Cho's nature as she was very flexible.

* * *

><p>It was very practical that the boss closed the team of Lisbon and told them to go on holiday for at least a week. They would need a time-out and it was absolutely right. Lisbon and Jane spent vacation in Europe together while Cho finally managed to finish his current book.<p>

Red John proposed his girlfriend Rachel a flight to Las Vegas where they finally married easily and under Red John's real name. Nobody would ever find out that they married there. They walked along the streets of the huge city where it was still bright in the nights.

'I think we should tell Jane that you married' she whispered into his ear.

'What do you mean?'

'Give him a hint. Tell him, he should search a married man.'

Suddenly, he smiled. 'Good plan' he admitted and cuddled her.

**Please review as Red John's and Rachel Jones' marriage will not stay the only unexpected turning in this story...Whom of his friends can Jane still trust?**

**Please DO review, it is my first own Mentalist story and yesterday.**

**Thanks to Sabrina5312, who borrowed me the first season, I now finished watching the first 23 episodes within four (!) (work)days. Today, I'll start the second season. :DD**


	8. Red Smile on the Face

**Okay, here's the next chapter. It took a bit longer because I was in vacation and couldn't continue any story. But as I only had paper and pen I started a new and independent Mentalist-fanfiction which I will soon upload (when I typed it into my computer...).**

**Okay, here's the promised turn of things...**

Chapter 8

Time passed and they did not hear from Red John again. 'Maybe he just disappeared' Rigsby said.

'Or he died' Cho proposed. He felt better again although he sometimes still had pain, he only didn't want to admit that.

'No, no' Jane shook his head and continued the case of a murderer wife in the mid of a strawberry field. 'Her husband' he declared suddenly.

'And how did you get this?' Lisbon asked surprised.

'Well, first you can see that she doesn't wear a ring anymore, which means she was about to divorce. You said she lived at Middle Way, we passed it when we came here. In front of her house, there had been a car. Her husband, I suppose. He is going to have a look where his wife lives now and what he can get from her now that she's dead. Plus, she was killed with a gun. Distance to the victim, the husband wasn't sure if he should do it or not. You can check the bullets with the gun her not yet ex-husband wears' Jane reported.

'I'll check this' Jones muttered and Lisbon nodded to her. She just looked at Jane who only smiled.

She had to admit that he was really good. Not only in solving cases.

* * *

><p>Back at CBI HQ they all went after their usual task. For Jane it was far too usual and he slept on his couch again. It went evening and Jane and Lisbon tried to get out and into one car without being noticed.<p>

They drove over to Lisbon's house because she had already washed the huge smiley away so that they could forget what has happened, at least for a moment together.

* * *

><p>'I'm going, too' Cho said and put on his jacket.<p>

Jones and Rigsby, who still worked on their computers, nodded and wished him a good night.

After a while, Jones went to the ladies' restrooms. She looked into the mirror and remembered how she painted the huge smiley on it. She smiled recalling how fast and helpless Lisbon's brother had died.

Unfortunately, she hadn't had enough time to torture him and give him the death he had earned, but, he was dead and this was what counted to her husband, Red John.

She turned around when suddenly the door opened behind her.

'Hey, I just wanted to have a look if you're alright' Rigsby said and went in.

'Yeah, well' she answered confused not knowing what he wanted at the women's toilet.

He carefully closed the door behind him. 'Okay, hands up where I can see them' he suddenly ordered and pointed his gun at Rachel.

'Okay, it's all okay, Rigsby' she said calmly and did as she was told. Did he know?, she asked herself. Did he know who she really was.

Rigsby just laughed. 'Yeah, I'm your stupid Rigsby, am I not? I have always been that sappy and silly Rigsby. Know what? I laughed when Van Pelt died. She never had any meaning to me. I never loved her, but I loved to play with her.'

He came nearer with his gun.

Rachel was honestly confused. What the hell was he playing? 'Okay, Rigsby, I understand. But-'

'No, no' he hissed in an evil voice she had never heard before. 'You don't understand. You have no idea who I am. You underestimated me. You all underestimated me.'

He came closer and she went backwards.

She did not know what he was planning but she planned to kill him as soon as she got an opportunity. 'Okay, then tell me. I'm open for everything. I'm listening' she tried to calm him down. She had no fear, she could easily handle this. But she didn't want a massacre or losing her control again. He laughed at her again.

She remained calm although she just wanted to jump onto him and torture him to death. Already in her early years she had taught herself strict self-discipline or she would have soon ended into an uncontrollable serial killer. At least, her husband was very disciplined, too. She just hated his classical music.

'You would never believe me anyway. So why tell you? I will kill you' he said with an anger she had never felt inside of him. 'You never thought that little, small, but tall Rigsby would be capable of killing you, right?' he asked.

'Yeah, you're right. Why did you say you wanted to kill me?' she asked.

'Nobody thought that. Because I hid my mask, I hid it perfectly. Even Jane didn't notice who I really am. Even him I could fool. Everybody!'

'It's great. Now at least I know that you're megalomaniac. Leave me alive and I share with the others so that everybody knows your little, dirty secret. But before that, you should tell me the rest of your sad life story' she said in a friendly voice.

He laughed at her again. She used that moment and the next time he blinked he saw her gun pointed at him.

'And what are we going to do now?' he asked still smiling.

'Don't know. Propose something.'

'You feel safe, right?'

'Right. We're both pointing a gun at each other.'

'But what if I pull the trigger first? You'll be dead and I'll stay alive.'

'What if upside-down?'

'You can be sure that I won't let it come so far' he assured her.

She shortly smiled back, ironically, of course. 'Great, and who of us is pulling the trigger first?'

* * *

><p>Jane and Lisbon both lay in her bed. They were close to each other, both still naked. 'I have no good feeling' he suddenly said.<p>

She stared at him. 'You never have.'

'No, it's kind of different now. Like…something will happen tonight.'

'You should have said this earlier.'

'I think Red John is back.'

'What? Are you crazy? How do you know?'

'Just a feeling' he said and sat up. 'Who's at Headquarters?' he asked.

'Don't know. They all went home, I guess. Come back to bed, Jane' she answered when he stood up and got dressed.

'I'm going there.'

'Why?'

'There is something wrong. Remember when I thought there was a mole in CBI?'

'And you were right. And we caught him.'

'No, Red John isn't that stupid. There must be a second man in there. He would have never risked that he would lose his connection to me.'

'Jane! You're obsessed with Red John. You suffer under paranoia.'

'I know. And what if I'm right? How often have I been wrong in the past.'

'Often enough.'

'Lisbon, Van Pelt and your brothers are all dead. I can't afford any more mistakes. I have to be sure' he said and left the bedroom.

Lisbon sighed and got up, too.

* * *

><p>'Now, tell me what on earth you are planning. Killing me?'<p>

'You have no idea, right?'

'Right.'

'Do not roll your eyes as if it wouldn't interest you.'

'Perhaps it doesn't interest me.'

'It doesn't interest you that you're going to die right now?'

'The only thing interesting me is why you do this.'

'For my boss.'

'Who is your boss?'

He laughed again and she rolled her eyes again. This was going to become ridiculous.

'I work for Red John' Rigsby said.

'Wha…?' she asked in disbelief and put her gun back into her holster.

She couldn't believe it.

He laughed. 'What? Why do you put your gun away? Scared?'

She sighed. 'You are really working for Red John?'

'Yeah.'

'Tell me.'

'Well, I have been working for him for more than a year. He had turned me around.'

'You do it for money?'

'Yes…partly. And for the hot girls you get.'

She nodded and began to understand. She was absolutely angry with Red John because he hasn't told her that there was a second mole in CBI. She thought about what to do with Red John. Should she kill him or make him rather suffer?

At least, she could torture him a bit. He would forgive her and they would carry on their marriage.

'You don't understand the danger of those things, little Rachel Jones' he said still with his weapon pointing at her.

'Okay, Rigsby, I'm going to tell you that-' Suddenly, her cell phone rang.

'Who is it?' Rigsby asked. She pulled the phone out of her pocket.

'Jane' she declared. He had a penchant for calling in such situations. 'Perhaps he suspects you and if I don't answer he'll come here' she proposed.

'Okay' he nodded. 'Take the call, on loud speakers but get him off without attracting any attention or you're dead immediately.'

She nodded and pressed the green button.

'Hey, Jane' she started.

'Hey, ah, is everything okay? Where are you?' Jane asked.

'Rigsby and I are still at CBI HQ. Why?' Rachel asked confused. What did he suspect?

'Jane thinks that Red John is planning something' they heard Lisbon's voice.

'So, everything is alright there?' Jane seemed to be a bit scared.

'Yes' Jones assured him.

'Can I speak to Rigsby?'

'I'm here Jane and everything is just normal.'

'Okay, where exactly are you?' Lisbon asked.

'In the office.' 'In the hallway.'

Jones and Rigsby answered at the same time and then kept silence.

They looked at each other knowing that this has not been a clever move. They just have shown that nothing was alright. They didn't hear any sign from Jane or Lisbon.

'Okay, who of you is pointing the gun at whom?' Jane then asked.

Neither Rigsby nor Jones said a word. Rigsby closed the cell phone and threw it away.

'Great, great job, Jones. This is funny. Now they're on the way and what are they going to find? Your dead body and a bloody smiley on the wall.'

'Well, I don't think Red John would like it if you used his sign for my murder.'

'Then I call him and ask' Rigsby proposed.

'How close are you to him?' Jones asked irritated.

'Very close.'

'You met him?'

'Several times. He trusts me and I would never disappoint him' he answered smilingly and came nearer to her. 'Are you scared?' he asked and looked into her eyes.

She seemed to be bored. With a single and fast move of her leg she kicked the gun out of his hand and pointed her own gun at him.

'I think you should call him' she proposed.

'Jones, I would not kill me. He will torture you and-'

'Call Red John. You've got a cell phone, don't you?' she ordered impatiently.

He nodded and pulled out his cell. He dialed the number and they waited.

'Yes?' a male voice answered.

'Hey, honey, I have a question: Shall I kill Rigsby or do you want to do it yourself?' she asked in an alluring voice.

Rigsby didn't manage to speak any word. He stared at the little girl in front of him.

'B-Boss? You-she's working for you?' he asked surprised and stared into her smiling face.

'She's my girlfriend' the slimy voice answered. 'And Rachel,…kill him.' Red John ended the phone call and Rigsby noticed that this had been his sentence of death.

'No' he whispered and stepped backward.

She pulled out a knife and it all went so fast that Rigsby felt himself lying on the ground immediately. Rachel sat down on him and started her bloody work. Rigsby tried to protect himself and they started a fight with rolling on the ground and trying to bang each other's head against the wall.

Suddenly, they heard voices. 'We're here!' Rachel screamed while Rigsby tried to strangle her.

The door was kicked open and Lisbon and Jane came in.

'Let her go' she screamed at Rigsby and pointed her gun at him.

'She's working for Red John!' he yelled.

'He's lying. He's Red John's man. Kill him' Rachel cried and tried to push Rigsby away.

Lisbon didn't know if she should shoot and grabbed Rigsby's back and pulled him away from Rachel.

Rachel and Rigsby sat on the floor, staring at each other. 'Okay, who of you is the traitor?' Jane asked.

'She!' 'He!'

'This doesn't bring us anything' Lisbon decided.

'Would have never guessed that myself' Jane added. 'Who of you is working for Red John?'

Rachel and Rigsby pointed at each other. They were both breathing heavily.

'Call the last person Rigsby had called with his cell phone' Rachel said.

'That's a lie. She forced me to call him.'

'But in your cell his number is saved.'

'In yours, too.'

She shook her head. 'Okay, we'll proof that' Lisbon decided while Jane already picked up Rigsby's cell phone. He called the last number and put it on loudspeakers.

'Yes?' a male voice answered. Jane directly recognized it from the man who once saved his life.

'Hello, Red John' Jane started and tried to hold back his anger and fear. 'We have a little problem. We don't know who is your man, Rachel or Rigsby. They both say that each other is working for you.'

Jane waited with a side look on Lisbon. She showed him that is was the most stupid idea he ever had.

'Rachel is working for me' Red John answered and ended the call again.

'Thanks' Jane muttered and picked up Rigsby's gun that was still lying on the floor. 'Ha, I told you' Rigsby triumphed.

'No, you are the mole' Jane said slowly.

'What? He just told you that Rachel was!' Rigsby said irritated.

'Because he wants us to kill her. And believe you' Jane explained.

'Are you sure?' Lisbon asked but Jane didn't react.

'No, he wants you to think that. He knows you would kill me. He knows-'

'Where does he hide?' Jane cried suddenly.

'What?' Rigsby asked surprised.

'Where the hell does Red John have his hiding?' Jane cried as loud as he could. Rigsby, the traitor. He should have known this. He had always been that calm, he was a perfect actor. He had fooled him.

Lisbon twitched when she heard the loud bang. 'Jane' she muttered in disbelief. 'This wasn't justified.'

'It was' Jane murmured and dropped the gun. Rigsby was dead, blood was flowing out of the wound. 'He worked for Red John' he said in low voice.

'But now you won't find out anything' Rachel said and Lisbon helped her standing up.

They all turned around in surprise when the door was opened. Cho came in. 'We have Red John's new victim' he informed them and then froze when he saw dead Rigsby. 'What happened?' he asked.

'He worked for Red John' Jane shortly explained.

Cho nodded. He couldn't believe it.

'What next victim?' Lisbon asked. Cho briefly explained: 'It's a woman, about twenty-three. She was found dead tonight in a motel when her husband came home, he's dead, too. Both cut open in the bath tub. And there's a message on the wall, under the smiley.'

'What kind of message?' Jane asked.

'The police officer couldn't explain. It is too unreadable. He asked if we perhaps could have a look.'

Lisbon nodded. 'But we first need to inform the boss about this' she nodded over to the dead corpse on the ground.

'How exactly did it happen?' Cho asked.

'We would also like to hear the truth' Jane mentioned and Rachel started to explain, of course, not the truth.

She knew that Red John already worked on deleting the surveillance videos.

**Well, for me it seemed reasonable that Rigsby works for Red John or is Red John himself. It couldn't be Jane as they already met each other, not Van Pelt because she shot her fiancée who worked for RJ, not Lisbon as she was too close to Jane and not Cho as he was to silent for that. But Rigsby always played a bit stupid and never attracted any attention...so I think he could have something to do with it... ;)**

**I'll soon have finished watching third season...yesterday, I watched 12 episodes... ;)) And my favorite character: Red John _(would have never guessed that^^)_**


	9. Red Tear on the Carpet

Chapter 9

Cho, Jane, Lisbon and Jones arrived at the crime scene with the unpleasant feeling that their team got smaller and smaller with the time. Jane felt worst of all of them because he knew that it was his fault. Red John wanted revenge although he already got it.

But this crazy psychopath never stopped. Because it was fun to him, murdering was fun, seeing Jane suffering was fun. Jones knew, that somehow Red John felt related to Jane, he loved him. They were so similar, they both could perfectly be charming and manipulate others. She knew the comparison, Jane had so much in common with Red John, more than he would ever think.

John was in love with Jane, as John was the male form of the name Jane. They just fitted together, they could be twins in character. Both were so intelligent men, knowing all risks and knowing what to do. Red John was the evil twin of Jane, it was funny that Jane never noticed such a relation between them.

The four agents entered the motel room all wondering who of them was going to die next. It seemed like the last vengeance of Red John, judgment day for Jane. They walked into the bathroom and directly looked at a grinning, bloody face.

'I can't believe Rigsby worked for this psychopath' Cho muttered and pointed at the bloody writing below the smiley.

'He is…what?' Jane read. 'Ma…M-A…is this an R or an N?' Jane asked.

'No idea. That's what we're supposed to find out' Cho explained.

'Doesn't make any sense for me' Lisbon said.

'Heismar or Heisman…what about He is married?' Jones proposed silently. She tried to play the still-under-shock-agent as Rigsby had tried to kill her only an hour ago.

'Could be possible, but what does it mean?' Cho asked.

'That I'm supposed to look for a married man' Jane said. 'I think we're finished here' he added and walked out of the room.

'When did it happen?' Jones asked.

'About one and a half hours ago' Cho informed her.

'Then he was here when Rigsby called him' Jones mentioned.

The other two agents nodded. 'The only question is who of us is going to die next' Cho said.

Lisbon looked at him as if he has gone mad.

'It's obvious. Red John is eliminating everybody who is close to Jane, starting with his team' Cho explained.

Jones nodded agreeing.

'What about my brothers?' Lisbon asked.

'That was just because you provoked him' Jones said.

Now it was Cho's turn to nod.

'Okay, we'll all stay together so that Red John won't have a chance' Lisbon ordered.

'And how long? Red John has time. We can't watch ourselves all the time. He waits until we get careless and then he hits' Jones muttered.

'I don't know. But for the next time, we'll stay all together. We don't want to make it that easily for him, do we?' Lisbon said but she wasn't convinced by her plan either.

'At least, we don't have a mole inside left' Cho shrugged without knowing that he was so wrong.

* * *

><p>'He is married…he is married…he is married…'<p>

'We know that, Jane' Lisbon said nerved.

Jane looked up. He lay on his couch, like always. Lisbon had moved into the office, she used Rigsby's desk. She wanted to feel closer to the team as they were only four people left.

'Red John will return soon' Jane mentioned.

'Hasn't he done enough for quite a while?' Jones asked.

'No' Jane was sure. 'He told us that he was married. He wants us to search further and as we don't have any clue he'll give us a new hint.'

'For example?' Cho asked without any impression in his face.

'I don't know' Jane had to admit.

'Perhaps kill the next member of this team' Jones said bored while staring on her computer.

'He has no moles in CBI left' Jane muttered.

'How do you know this? He can still have a man inside' Jones reminded him.

'However' Lisbon started. 'We shouldn't focus on this. We have only each other and we know that Red John is outside. He will grab the next opportunity to hurt one of us.'

'So you agree to my hypothesis that he will soon come back' Jane laughed.

'Yes. But I am tired now and I go home. We should all go home. Jane and Cho, you pay attention to each other. Jones, you stay over at my house, okay?' She nodded and the two girls left the house.

'Do you think they get along?' Jane asked watching them both walking away.

'If they don't start a chick-fight, yes' Cho mentioned and shut off the electricity of his computer monitor.

* * *

><p>Lisbon closed the door behind her and the two women went into the living room.<p>

'So, what now?' Lisbon asked and both sat down on the couch.

'Lisbon, there is something I have to tell you' Jones started.

The boss looked at her. 'Tell me.'

Jones sighed and pulled out the ring that was on her necklace. It had hung down inside her blouse so that it hasn't been visible.

'You…you're married?' Lisbon asked surprised.

She was nineteen years old, she seemed to be a bit too young to marry.

She nodded. 'But there's something else…my husband…'

'Tell me.'

'I am her husband' Lisbon heard a voice and turned around.

She was shocked when she saw a man in a black cloak. He put away his hood and Lisbon saw his face.

'Who are you?' Lisbon asked slowly and not understanding what this meant.

'You know me under the name _Red John_' the man explained in his neutral and slimy voice.

Rachel smiled and pulled out her knife.

Lisbon turned around sharply. This can't be true, it must be a nightmare, she thought. 'No' she whispered.

'Oh yes' the man explained. 'You will die. First, because you called me names in publicity and second, because it will hurt Jane. He loves you. I watched you, night for night. And yes, Rigsby was my man, but Rachel, too. And you trusted her, so stupid. You're such a fool, Teresa. And now you'll pay for it. You always underestimated me. You never suspected Rachel, the newest member of your team.'

Red John smiled when he saw Rachel's knife shimmering in the moonlight. 'Dear Teresa, I'm so sorry but this will be the last thing you see on earth. You will leave us very soon.'

'No' Lisbon whispered but Rachel was faster. She grabbed her arm and threw her down on the floor.

She pulled her over where she had more space. Rachel sat on Lisbon and bent down to her.

'You love Jane. And he loves you. It's such a tragedy that it has to end like this' she hissed and Lisbon saw the madness flashing in her deep black eyes.

Coldness, no warmth, emotionless, she absolutely fitted into Red John's character. Both psychopathic, sadistic, mad men.

'Listen to me, Rachel. You are a good woman. You don't have to do this. Red John doesn't love you, he plays with you and one day he will kill you, too' she tried to say that calm but her fear was unmistakable.

'Don't even try that, Teresa. This is ridiculous and pathetic' Red John answered.

It was funny, actually, Lisbon thought. She would have never guessed Red John to look like that. She couldn't describe it but he looked so much different from her imagination. But there was no mistake, this was Red John.

And his wife was about to kill her. She saw the knife shimmering in the bright moon light. Rachel tore her blouse apart and set down the knife.

She cut in a pattern and the blood sputtered out of the wound. She made deep scratches and the red, thick liquid flowing down her pale body.

It hurt like hell and she yelled like she has never done before.

Why didn't anybody hear her? Why didn't anybody listen to her?

'You can scream as much as you want, Teresa. It won't help you' Red John said calmly and sat down on the edge of the sofa.

He watched his wife torturing Lisbon as if it was the late evening news. He smiled seeing Lisbon suffering. Rachel cut open Lisbon's trousers and removed it. She smiled while scratching her legs and started de-skinning her feet.

The puddle of blood grew bigger and bigger and Lisbon felt like losing consciousness all the time. Unfortunately, she didn't and Rachel continued with her devil's work.

'You evil bitch' Lisbon cried.

She felt tears running down her cheek and mixing with the blood.

Rachel laughed looking into her scared face.

'You have no idea' she whispered.

'You have no idea how much fun this is' she hissed and stabbed the knife deep into Lisbon's arm.

Then she put the knife into her mouth. Lisbon tried to turn her head away but Rachel held it with her left hand.

'Do you know the Glasgow method?' she asked like a crazy woman asks you.

Lisbon wanted to shake her head.

'No? No?' Rachel repeated. 'I give you a hint. It is very famous,…ah, it was used on the Joker…you know the Batman stories, don't you?'

Lisbon didn't react.

'Answer her' Red John said calmly in his slimy and evil voice.

Lisbon nodded trying not to be cut by the knife while doing so.

'Great' Rachel decided and slashed Lisbon's face from the edge of her mouth to shortly under the ears.

Blood drowned out like a waterfall, it wasn't stoppable. Lisbon hit wildly around with her arms and screamed as much as her open mouth allowed it. 'Sshhht' Rachel whispered.

'Come here, the other side now…' She took Lisbon's head again and set the knife back into her mouth.

With strenuous effort she cut the other side open, too. Lisbon defended herself as much as she could but she was weakened by the torture before. She tried to escape but the nineteen year old girl was too strong.

She waited until Lisbon got calmer again and stared at her face. She lay on the floor and didn't move any more. She must have entered the phase where the victim didn't try to protect herself so much, where it started to understand that any resistance was futile.

'Okay, I'm very glad you finally understood that you have not the slightest chance' Rachel said in a calm voice.

'And now, let's have a bit of fun.'

Rachel pulled out a device that Lisbon didn't recognize at once. But she remembered when the crazy woman started denailing her finger nails. It didn't stop bleeding and hurt as hell.

Lisbon couldn't endure it, it was too much for her. 'Stop! Stop it!' she screamed in panic.

'As long as you still can scream, I haven't tortured you enough' Rachel hissed.

Lisbon looked into her eyes, nothing warm to detect in there. She was an ice-cold killer. That didn't bring her much hope. After having ten nails lying on the floor, Rachel continued cutting off Lisbon's skin.

The bloody patterns were barely to recognize as everything was covered in blood. The dark-brown liquid was sputtering around and Rachel's blouse and jeans were all covered by it. Her face was deep red already, too.

Lisbon couldn't stand it, she wanted to escape this laugh of eternity. When did she have enough? When would she release her?

'It's enough. It's enough…' Lisbon muttered and felt herself getting weaker.

She gave up fighting, gave up defending herself, she gave up hope. This was the end, she thought.

She didn't have a single point on her body that didn't hurt and that wasn't drowned in blood. Finally, Rachel reached her neck, cut deeply into it and Lisbon hoped so much that she killed her now.

But instead, Rachel licked up the blood from the knife and smiled.

'Your blood tastes good. Perhaps I should fill it into a bottle and keep some for later' she said and laughed shortly the typical mad laugh.

She stood up slowly. Lisbon couldn't move.

She watched Rachel putting her knife away, Red John standing up, too and giving his wife a kiss on the lips.

Lisbon wanted to say something, something snidely but she couldn't. She was too weak for it. She wanted to forget, she wanted to leave.

The both killers stared down at her, the joy could be easily read on their faces.

This was the last thing that Teresa Lisbon saw forever on this world.

Her view got blurry and then black. She heard a laugh and then she had a voice.

'I don't leave you. I love you.' It was Jane.

Suddenly, Lisbon had to laugh. It was Jane, rescuing her. 'I come' she said cheerfully.

'I come.'

But then, she noticed that she was dead, and left the world forever.

Because she was dead.

**Okay, it's very hard to destroy Jisbon but as both Red John and Jane are still alive, the hunt will go on. And when Jane finds out what Red John (and his wife) did to his beloved Teresa, he will fight like never before to finally find and destroy Red John as he destroyed him. By the way, I just finished the third season and watched the analysis of Red John. I'm sorry if this one still has a few gaps but I try to make the Red John in my stories as close to the Red John in the series but like RJ himself, this still develops. I do not own anything.**

**Please review, don't be shy!**


	10. Red Tongue on the grass

**Okay, this is the second last chapter of my first own Mentalist Fan Fiction. I finished the first three season already (once even 12 episodes on one day) and I am really obsessed with Red John. I try to make him realistic to the show and I promise that in any further stories he will be closer to the Red John in the series. But this is a Fan Fiction (I made myself a list and wrote down everything about Red John, divided up into the parts**

**_Analysis of behaviour, development and skills_;**

**_Competition to Jane_;**

_**His characeter himself and his appearing**_**;**

_**Communication attempts**_**;**

**_Other known aliases_;**

_**His killings**_**;**

**_Relations to associates and law enforcement and copycats_**

**I gathered that information with the series, Wikipedia, the Mentalist wikia, the special on the last DVD of the third season and with the help of my friend Sabrina5312 who turned me into a Mentalist fan ;)**

**Have fun reading it and I haven't got a single review so I'd appreciate if you tell me how you [dis]like my story.**

Chapter 10

Jones and Cho sat on the couch where Jane used to sit. They said nothing, just stared into nowhere. They only waited. Finally, Hightower appeared in the office. The two agents looked up without any emotions on their faces.

Hightower took a chair and sat down in front of them. 'I know this has been hard' she started. 'First the murder of Van Pelt and Lisbon's three brothers, then finding out that Rigsby had been working for Red John all along. And then…he tortured Lisbon. Rachel, it's not your fault. You couldn't have prevented this.'

Rachel nodded. She had been found tied up a chair. She had needed an explanation.

'And now, Jane…the doctor called me that he is eating again. But he still hasn't said a single word' Hightower explained. The following days after Cho and Rigsby have found Lisbon dead and Rachel tied on the chair and not able to move, Jane had tried to commit suicide. Rachel had found him in time and now he has been being in the nuthouse for nearly a week.

'Jane is making progress but I think as it's his second time in the psychiatry, it will take longer for him to recover.'

'If he recovers after all' Cho mentioned.

'We have to stay optimistic' Hightower said.

'You didn't lose your whole team' Cho said coldly.

The boss only sighed. 'However, we assume that Red John may still be after you as you build the rest from what is left from Jane's family. We will protect you.'

'Red John has friends. We can't hide from him' Cho said.

'We'll try' Hightower assured him. 'You will enter the Federal Witness Protection Program. Nobody will know where you go and who you will be.'

'I don't want to go into this program. When he comes, he comes. And before I die, I'm going to make his life a hell' Cho replied with a very certain voice.

'Me, too' Rachel whispered.

'I can understand that you are angry. But let me protect you' the boss tried to calm the agents down.

'We don't need any protection. Don't you understand it? You can't run away from Red John. He finds you wherever you are' Rachel said silently. She was very calm and Hightower was surprised how both agents could sit there and staring into nothing. 'Rachel, I can understand what you went through when you saw Lisbon being tortured.'

'No, you don't understand. You weren't there.'

'What about this office, this department?'

'We'll find a new team' Hightower assured.

'I want to stay' Cho and Rachel said at the same time.

Hightower sighed knowing that they wouldn't change her mind anyway. She nodded. 'Cho, you'll be the boss and I'll get you a new team. But I warn you, Red John will find and kill you to. And when he does, remind my words: I told you so.' She stood up and walked away.

'Jane's in the psychiatry' Cho stated.

'Yes' Rachel said silently.

'He doesn't belong there.'

'Didn't you see him when he discovered Lisbon's body. He hasn't said a single word since then.'

'We need him.'

'I know. But I think he won't stay for long in the nuthouse anyway.'

'What do you mean?'

'Red John saved his live once. He plays with him and he doesn't want this game to end just because Jane ended up in the psychiatry.'

'So you propose to get Jane out before Red John does?' Cho asked.

'No, I propose to get Red John when he gets Jane out. Or get him before that' Rachel answered.

Cho was the last person she had to kill before she could finally play with the toy she had waited so long for: Jane. But she didn't want to make it too easy for Cho.

Torturing Lisbon has been so much pain, she wanted to repeat it with Cho, just that he should stay longer alive.

* * *

><p>Jane stared at the ceiling. He just stared there into this bright, white light. He still has consciousness, it was different than the time he had spent in the psychiatry eight years ago. The doctors didn't understand him, they wanted to heal him.<p>

But he already was at perfect health. He though, the whole time he sat there, he thought. He thought about how he could kill Red John. Through all the time, he hasn't seen him.

Red John was a coward, he had always killed his friends but never encountered Jane personally. Jane just had to tell him this, challenge him one last time. He had nothing to lose. He needed to get Red John here or himself to him so that it could all end up in a last and final fight with one winner at the end.

The days passed and Hightower visited him once for telling that she wasn't able to persuade Cho and Jones to go under hiding. That was typical, Jane thought. Fighting until the last man was to fall. But he also knew that his only chance to meet Red John was after the death of the two agents.

He was the last step Red John wanted to make. First Cho and Jones had to die. So Jane waited until his day would come and Red John would pull him out of the nuthouse. He was absolutely sure this was going to happen as he wanted the chase to go on.

Red John was as obsessed with Patrick Jane as Patrick Jane was with Red John.

Both knew that and both knew that only one of them could survive.

* * *

><p>It was past midnight and everybody was sleeping. Well, Jane was still awake and looked at the ceiling. A car parked in front of the nuthouse. Cho and Rachel stepped out.<p>

'Are you really sure this will work out?' Cho asked doubting their plan.

She just smiled and opened the luggage trunk of the car.

'I don't think we need a gun' Cho mentioned confused. This wasn't part of the plan.

'I know' she sighed and picked up a knife.

'What do you need this for?' Cho asked with no idea what this should mean.

'For you' she answered honestly and turned around quickly.

Before he could react she pushed him on the ground and sat above him. The perfect position to torture someone. Cho tried to escape but the little girl Rachel was much stronger than he had expected.

She laughed.

'What is this about? Leave me go!' Cho screamed.

'I tell you something. I tell you this because I am pretty sure that you won't tell it any further' she said.

He tried to shout for help but they were still too far away from the night guard of the psychiatry.

'You know what, Cho? You never talk much but right now, you scream too much' she hissed in the evil voice she usually had. With all struggle she managed to get his hand in her hand and opened his mouth.

She pressed the knife in it and tried to grab the tongue with her hand. She held his head with her knees so that he couldn't turn around. Then she grabbed his tongue and placed her knife. It were several cuts she needed until she held a glibberish, dark brown thing in her hands. She threw it away and watched how the blood flowed out of Cho's mouth.

She climbed lower on his body so that he could turn around and spit the blood that flew out of his mouth like a waterfall on the ground.

She waited until most of the blood was out of his mouth and she turned his head around. Cho tried to speak but there were only unrecognizable sounds coming out of his mouth. Rachel did what she always did.

She cut open Cho's shirt and trousers and underpants so that the agents lay naked on the ground. She cut a nice, bloody pattern of smiley into his skin. Cho couldn't scream, it hurt so much. She laughed, he couldn't stand his laugh any more.

Then, she stood up and Cho thought that he would be released but she came back with a piece of barbwire in her hands _(the fan-fiction of a friend brought me on that idea; I do not own anything)_. She put it around Cho's neck and pulled the two ends. She waited a bit, then let Cho breathe a bit and repeated the strangulation. She smiled when he saw his face that was full with pain and fear.

There wasn't much light but it was light enough for her to see how much pain this was and light enough for him to see how much fun it was to her. He would have never thought that this little girl was able to be so cruel and psychopathic.

'Oh, I think I haven't mentioned yet. I work for Red John, too' she whispered and pulled the wire again.

He closed his eyes and hoped so much that he soon would be released and that she would kill him. He wished himself death.

But she wasn't about to give him this so fast. She threw the wire back into the car and turned back to her victim. Meanwhile, she was already covered in dark red liquid, too and her face was sprinkled red. She liked to be covered in blood and she liked to lick it from the knife and her skin. The blood of some people just tasted so good. She also used the Glasgow smile on Cho, her preferred torturing method but she only used it after having performed something with the knife because if not, the victim was struggling to much for cutting perfectly.

She looked down on her victim. Cho was crying, something you would never suspect him to. But after torture and close to certain death, you started to get to know people. This is a period, when people always told the truth, always showed who they really were. Rachel breathed deeply. She needed to stay in control, she was very self-disciplined.

Usually, her adrenaline would want her to kill Cho and hurt him more and more. But she stayed calm. It has needed a lot of practice for her to become such a calm and disciplined killer.

She had needed a lot of murders to finally stay calm when the adrenaline rose and the body wanted more, wanted to feel the rush over and over again. It was hard to control, but she learnt it and Red John had helped her to control her desire for killings.

They had done it together, as a perfect team and she always felt honored when he allowed her to perform a killing or even a torture in his order and name. She bent down to Cho's face again.

She knew that he was really hard thinking about what she was going to do next. She smiled seeing how helpless her victim was. She knew that some people just wanted to feel dominant about their victim before they killed it and repeated it therefore. Rachel liked to in charge of the life of the victim but this wasn't the reason for the rush she felt. She just liked to see other people suffering or to make them suffer with her own hand.

It felt so good when blood flew and people screamed hell out of them. She sighed. She took the knife again, continued with de-skinning and de-nailing toenails and fingernails. She had all the time in the world and she took all the time.

At the end, she didn't know how long she has been outside but she guessed something between two and three hours. In this time, Cho had sometimes lost consciousness and Rachel had waited until he came to consciousness again to continue. She felt his pulse, it was low and he was hardly breathing. She smiled seeing what she'd done to this man. It felt good because he had trusted her.

Because she has been his friend, so close and so deadly. Then, she took a single cut through his neck and he was dead forever. She laughed silently about her work and with a lot of effort she managed to put the body inside the luggage trunk of the car.

She looked at herself. She was all dirty and covered in blood. She looked at her watch and noticed that she still had time to get home, have a shower, put on new clothes and get rid of the body.

Actually, Cho and Rachel had planned to enter the psychiatry at night and help Jane to escape but Rachel had a better plan to serve her husband his arch-enemy.

With a great feeling she drove back to the downtown of Sacramento where she then promised her husband to bring him Jane.

**Please review. I don't bite.**


	11. Red Blood on the body

**The last chapter of my story. I hope you like it and I would really love if you review because I haven't had a single review yet and this is my first Mentalist story so I don't know how it is.**

**This story perhaps has an ending that you don't expect. But I recommend you to read this and tell me what you think about it. (Tipp: Listen to calm music while reading this - e. g. playlist 'Soundtrack and other music' of the youtube user TheSevenofMine)**

Chapter 11

It was early morning when the doctor came in to tell Jane that he had a visitor. He was surprised but estimated Hightower to return and tell her the death of her both agents. He wasn't looking forward to bad news but he knew that it was worthy the revenge he would get.

Red John has finally managed to destroy his life that much that he had nothing more to live for than for a final revenge. But Jane was surprised when he saw Rachel entering the room.

'Hey' she said and Jane nodded still not able to say something.

'I'm sorry but I can't leave you alone with him' the doctor said and closed the door. She still was inside the room.

Rachel's reaction was too fast for the female doctor to defend. With one hit on her neck she was unconscious. Jane stood up and walked over.

'Help me to remove her clothes' Rachel ordered and only two minutes later Rachel wore the doctor's overall. She picked up the card and opened the door.

'Come on, Jane' she said and both walked out into the corridor.

'Why?' Jane asked. The only thing he now wanted was to find Red John and kill him.

They passed the main gate and nobody stopped them as the nut was in company with a doctor.

As soon as they were outside, Jane felt free again and the only thing he could think about was vengeance.

They stepped into Rachel's car but before she started it, he had to tell her: 'Rachel, listen to me. Whatever you plan, I don't care. I only want to kill Red John and get my revenge.'

She started the car without a word and drove away from the psychiatry. 'I know' she suddenly said.

'Where's Cho?' Jane asked glad that she understood him.

'Dead.'

Jane sighed. 'That means nobody of the old team is left.'

'Except for you.'

He nodded.

'And you will be the last one to die' she added.

'Or Red John' he mentioned. He felt awkward because she accepted that he was going to die.

'Rigsby was right' she suddenly said.

Jane looked at her not understanding what she meant.

She just smiled.

'You…you don't work for Red John, don't you?' he asked.

'I killed Van Pelt, Lisbon's brother on the toilet, I tortured and killed both Lisbon and Cho. But you will be the prey of my husband' she answered silently. She was still calm and her view remained on the street ahead of them.

'Your…husband?' Jane asked surprised, well, more than surprised. He got a bad feeling about this.

'Yeah, remember? I was the one who told you that it meant 'He is married', didn't I? This is because I married him.'

'You're crazy' Jane said.

She just smiled. 'I know. But Red John isn't a monster. He's like you, mostly. You have a very lot in common.'

'He is an evil murderer. He kills for nothing.'

'And when you kill, you do it with reason, I understand. Well, he sees 'The Tyger' as an affirmation for not being evil. Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?'

'William Blake.'

'I learnt it by heart and I studied it to understand him better. You are the lamb and he is the tyger. God created both, equally.'

Jane sighed.

'You think that I am mad' she laughed.

'To be honest, I thought that for a second' he answered. There was no point in talking with this insane woman.

'I know what you think, Jane. I know you perfectly. I have been long enough together with Red John for this. When you ask me, he is a monster and he is evil. But I love him and I am evil, too. And I know this. I understand people and I understand their fear. But I just kill people, that doesn't make me a monster. I torture people and I _like_ to see them suffering. This is what makes me a monster.'

'Great that you thought so much about it.'

'There is no big difference between you and Red John, Jane. I know it is hard to understand but you're both obsessed with each other, you both are great manipulators, very intelligent and smart, you know how to fool someone, you're both sadistic and you both love tea.'

'Especially the last point marks our relationship.'

'I hate his penchant for tea and classical music.'

'You should divorce.'

'Jane, don't try to make this ridiculous.'

'Don't you bother that you're husband will be dead pretty soon?'

'Or you.'

'I'm sitting as a living person next to you and it doesn't bother you that I'll probably be dead in a few hours?'

'Red John tries to avoid social contact with his victims, mostly. But I love to interact with them before death. Do you know how I enjoyed it when you killed Rigsby?'

'Do you get an orgasm when you kill?' he asked uninterested and disappointed.

'Sometimes' she answered shortly.

'Where are we driving?' he asked.

'To him. One of the sheds where he hides' she responded honestly.

He nodded. 'What if I kill him?'

'Then I accept this as your triumph and maybe I'll let you go.'

'But if you love Red John you will not be able to forgive me.'

'That's true. But there are other people I can kill and perhaps one day, I'll return. But let's not talk about something that hasn't happened yet.'

'And how is he going to kill me? With a gun, a knife or are we going to perform a fight with hands or martial arts?' he asked sarcastically.

She laughed. 'A grim sense of humor…not bad' she admitted and drove into the way that led to the forest shed.

'And here he's hiding?' he asked interested.

'Usually not. Actually he lives in my house. But he keeps his abduction victims and meets his associates here. It would be too risky if they knew too much.'

'Funny. He had so many moles in CBI and we had no mole in his organization.'

'Because he's very careful. He only recruits who he is sure will listen to him or who he manipulates before.'

'To be sure that they won't change sides. Was he that sure with Rigsby, too?'

She shook her head. 'Therefore I entered the team. But for good luck, Rigsby was a psychopath, not yet outed but obvious. He had no feelings. He told me he laughed when Van Pelt died.'

'Grace had always had a sense for bad boys.'

'O'Loughling, Rigsby, bad luck, I guess.'

He nodded agreeing. He felt awkward, not that strong feeling of fear.

Perhaps because it was the right thing to do. He could maybe join his family again. He looked forward to looking into Red John's eyes.

The man he had searched so long and now he was so close.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later they arrived at an old but huge shed and they stepped out of the car. 'Hey, Jane' she whispered.<p>

He came closer to her.

'I don't want you to be completely helpless' she said and gave him the knife she had hidden in her jeans. He nodded and put it away wondering on whose side Rachel really was.

She seemed to be a smart girl, but unfortunately crazy and evil, too.

They walked on and she opened the door.

They entered the house and he followed her to the living room.

A man sat there in the armchair, obviously waiting for them.

He was tall, not pale, not tan, he had short black hair and deep black eyes. He wore a dark cloak that reminded immediately to Grim Reaper. The same clothes in which Jane had seen him the last time, when he had saved him from some copycats.

'Sit down' the man said friendly and Jane sat down in the armchair in front of him, the coffee table between them.

'Do you want some tea?' the man asked.

Jane nodded uncertain. Rachel smiled and left the living room.

'Are you Red John?' Jane asked with doubts.

'Yes' the man answered confidently.

'You must excuse, you aren't the first one telling me this' Jane said hesitatingly.

'I know. The guy you shot in the mall. I gave him enough information but I doubted you would believe him. Did you?'

'For a second.'

'The second you killed him.'

Jane nodded.

'Well, what do I have to tell you to convince you that I am the one and only Red John?' he asked calmly.

Jane didn't doubt it that much like in the mall. This man looked more like Red John, handsome and capable of alluring people, persuading and influencing. He seemed to easily manipulate people. Although Jane doubted that Rachel was manipulated by him, she was exactly as crazy as he was.

'I don't know' Jane said.

'Shall I tell you about the night I killed your family?' Red John proposed.

Jane did not react. He didn't want to get provoked.

'It was a warm night, about midnight when I arrived at your house. Your family was sleeping, that peacefully. You know what your wife and your child smelled like. It liked that smell. I killed the child first so that she didn't have to see what I did to her mother. You may not believe it, but I am just a man, too. Your child didn't suffer, she didn't even wake up. I was glad she didn't. But your wife woke up. She screamed while I did it. I did not cut in deep because I didn't want her to feel the pain. I wanted you to feel the pain.'

'You succeeded' Jane said without a smile.

'Do you believe me?' Red John asked.

'Why not?' Jane finally admitted. He was convinced.

This time, it was Red John. They had been both ready to encounter each other so there was no reason why he should manipulate it.

Rachel returned from the kitchen with two cups and a teapot on a tablet. She put it down on the table and filled in tea in Red John's and in Jane's cup.

Then she sat down on the couch next to both of them.

'The tea is good' Jane mentioned when he drank.

'She makes the best tea. Such an unfortunate she doesn't drink it' he smiled to Rachel who smiled back.

'Why did you need to kill my team to meet me?' Jane asked.

'I want to let you suffer. You insulted me in the media. I don't like that very much' Red John answered.

'You understand him?' Jane asked Rachel.

She smiled lightly. 'He loves you. He is obsessed with you like you are obsessed with him. For him, you are a worthy critic and a worthy enemy. Everything you did in the past years was nothing more than a competition' she said in a low voice, lower than usual. She was very calm, she wanted the two men to make the final out themselves.

Jane nodded. 'You agree to her?' he asked surprised.

'Yes' Red John answered honestly. 'She always wants to analyze my behavior. She is the person who understands me best.'

'What is your motivation? I mean, before I became your nemesis.' Jane wanted to know everything. He needed to understand.

'I have no motivation. I was a lonely, sexual serial killer. With you, dear Jane, my life got another destination. Something to kill for.'

'Is this supposed to make me feel honored?' Jane asked laughing and drank another sip of the tea. It was really good.

'In some kind of way, yes' he paid back.

'Then it does' Jane said.

'Why did you let my team die?' Jane tried once more.

Red John smiled. 'I needed to see your reactions. Van Pelt must die so that Rachel could take her place. I needed someone directly in the heart of your team.'

'You had Rigsby.'

'Rigsby may have been a useful tool like all my associates, but I needed someone I could fully trust. And Rachel is the only person who is not a tool for me. She understands me and my work.'

'Rigsby must die because he wanted to kill Rachel and didn't know that she was working for you, too.'

'She is working _with_ me' he reminded Jane.

'Okay, you equally work together but he is still the man in the relationship.'

Rachel nodded lightly. She must be as insane as he is, Jane thought.

'Why Lisbon first?' Jane continued asking.

'It was an opportunity to grab. You loved her Jane and you still do. The only person you fell in love with after the death of your wife. Just imagine I wouldn't have killed your wife and child: You would have never met Lisbon.'

Jane stared at Red John.

'His explanation why he is not evil' Rachel mentioned and Red John smiled at his wife.

Jane nodded. Somehow, he understood the logic.

Without Red John he would never have met the team and Lisbon, never fallen for her.

'Therefore you killed her' he said.

'Rachel killed her. She tortured her to make you suffer even more. I watched' Red John explained.

'Did you enjoy it?'

'Of course, as much as killing your wife over nine years ago. I knew it would drive you crazy. The second time you ended up in the psychiatry.'

'So Lisbon was dead, too. The only person between you and me left was Cho. What did you do to him?' Jane asked.

'He was found this morning in Hightower's office. Rachel placed him there this night.'

'How did you kill him?' Jane turned to Rachel.

'We wanted to free you from the psychiatry this night. But I tortured and killed him first' Rachel answered.

'It took longer than I expected so she dressed up as a doctor to make you escape' Red John added.

'How long did he suffer?' Jane asked.

'Nearly three hours' Rachel said quietly.

Jane nodded. Somehow it didn't matter.

He felt cold, he felt like the suffer of his team didn't interest him, he was too full with the desire of revenge.

'So the last man in your way was dead' Jane said and looked at Red John.

'When you killed me, are you going to kill other men or look for a new arch-enemy?' he asked.

Red John smiled. 'Jane, I don't think it is that simple. I love you too much. This is my weakness, I am obsessed with you. Our relationship has become too complex to end it.'

'You don't want to kill me?' Jane asked surprised.

'I did not say that. But I have already saved your life once and now freed you from the psychiatry so that our game could go on. But unfortunately I have to say that everything has to end one time, if we like it or not.'

'Everything that has a beginning, has an end' Jane muttered _(The Matrix Revolutions)_.

Red John nodded.

'Tyger, Tyger, burning bright/ In the forests of the night/ What immortal hand or eye/ Dare frame thy fearful symmetry' Jane quoted and looked into Red John's eyes.

'William Blake's The Tyger, the last stanza' Red John said. 'Fortunately, dear Rachel shares my fondness in Blake's poems. They tell so very much about men and nature, about god and devil, about good and evil.'

'You are the tiger and I am the lamb. God created both of us. But god does not exist.'

'No god can decide what happens. It is our own decision how we should end this' Red John said calmly.

Rachel filled both cups with tea again.

'Who plays Moby Dick and who Captain Ahab?' Jane asked and drank a bit of the tea.

'I remember that both died in the end' Red John smiled. He could be quite nice, actually. It was no wonder that he has had so many men following him and a little, smart girl on his side.

'Well, Rachel could still be Ishmael' Jane said and both Red John and Jane smiled.

Jane now became aware of what he had feared all the time hunting his arch-enemy: Rachel has been right, they were quite similar. He didn't seem like a monster. They had so much in common, but right now, it didn't matter for Jane.

'You know Jane, without light there cannot be darkness, no day means no night. And no Moby Dick means no Ahab. Without you, my life would have never got this destination it has now. You created me Jane.'

'No, I did not create you. I expanded your character. I made you hunt me and I made you more evil.'

'After all, do you really think that I am evil just because I kill?'

Jane had to think for a while. 'It is not a simple question that can be solved with ethnics and morals and a yes and no' he finally answered.

Red John smiled. He knew that his enemy was so much on his level, they're skills and abilities were equal.

'But as we are the same, how should it end?' Jane asked. They could be so much twins, both distracted in two different directions.

'I have to admit that this is a very difficult question and a reason why I avoided you so long' Red John said honestly.

Jane finished drinking his cup of tea. 'Do you think I would be able to kill you?' Jane asked and felt the knife in her back of his jeans.

'Oh yes, Jane. You have been hunting me for so long and you killed one of my pets because he told you he was me. Your whole life in the recent years have been focused on me and now the day is come on which you can either feel the greatness of revenge or leave the world forever.'

'You mean, when I don't kill you, I go crazy?' Jane asked slowly.

'You already are, Jane. I drove you crazy. Because you feel guilty for the death of your family. But I was the one who killed your wife and your lovely daughter. You had no idea how I would react to your insult in the media. It was only me who finally stepped outside to kill them. But, Jane, I have to remember you that my dear associate wasn't that stupid, either.'

'He had had a gun' Jane mentioned. Red John nodded.

'You are not armed' Jane added.

'But you are' Red John answered.

'What do you mean?'

'Rachel gave you a knife before. I didn't tell her to but she wants you to have a chance. Which doesn't mean that she doesn't kill you if I tell her to.'

'But you won't.'

'Why shouldn't I?'

'Because you want to do it yourself. As much as I am obsessed with you and want to kill you, you are obsessed with me and want to kill me.'

'You are so right, Patrick Jane' Red John smiled and stood up. Jane stood up, too.

They walked nearer to each other and stood face to face.

They had about the same height and it was funny to see people that similar but that different watching each other. Jane felt the knife in his back and just waited for the right moment to grab it and stab it into the flesh of the man in front of him.

'You know, Jane, my weakness is my love for you. But your weakness is that you hesitate. I don't want to say that you are good because you are not. If you wanted, you could kill just like me. There is no difference in good or evil between us. We're like twins. But you hesitate too much' Red John said and suddenly, before Jane could react, he felt something warm running down his belly.

He looked down and saw a knife in his belly, the knife which had been in his back.

Red John must be really good, as good as him. Jane remembered how he could fool his team colleagues with stealing them things from inside the pocket and Red John knew this, too.

'I am honestly sorry to have killed you, Patrick Jane' Red John said and helped Jane to sit down in the arm chair.

He pulled out the knife of his body and gave it to Rachel who stood up and walked next to Jane. She licked the blood from the knife.

Jane looked at her. 'How does it taste?' he asked smilingly.

'Good' she said and held his hand.

'I have always identified myself with you, I compared you, I have always had greatest respect toward you. And I am sorry that I must kill you. I will miss you, Patrick Jane' Red John said and kissed Rachel on her cheek.

They watched Jane looking at Rachel. She still held his hand and he pressed it tight. 'Rachel' he said slowly.

He got weaker, he was pale and he was about to die. 'You are beautiful' he whispered and smiled.

He closed his eyes and opened his mouth one more time: 'Angela, I'm coming.'

Then he laughed, he laughed loudly, then got more silent and then, he was silent.

Rachel put his hand on his leg and kissed the dead Patrick Jane on his cheek. Red John felt the pulse of his arch-enemy.

'He is dead' he finally stated.

Rachel and Red John looked at Jane.

'My work is done' Red John muttered and turned to Rachel.

'Now, it is only both of us left. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you' he said and kissed her deeply. She smiled.

This wasn't the end of their killings or their love, but it is the end of this story.

**My first Mentalist story has come to an end. I know that you may be shocked that Red John won and the whole team is dead but in the series and films the good men always win, so why shouldn't the villains win at least in my stories? Therefore I let Red John win this fight.**

**I still haven't got a single review! Please tell me what you think about this story and if I should go on writing Mentalist stories [about Red John]!**

**PLEASE REVIEW as it helps me a lot! :D**

**And thank you very much for reading! ;)**

**PS: I almost forgot: The title of this story is the written in the dual system and can be read with the help of the ASCII-code. It means RED.**


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